Is outsider Ian Wright correct about reasons for Scottish football’s ills?

Wright suggested that those attendance figures, plus the talent and storylines that Scottish football has to offer, should attract a more lucrative TV deal when compared with Norway.

The Premiership attracted huge interest last term as a gripping title fight went down to a final-day decider between eventual champions Celtic and Hearts.

“Norway have managed to get a broadcast deal that was £25m more a year than Scotland,” Wright said on ITV.

The SPFL committed to a £150m broadcast deal in 2022, which started in 2024 and runs until 2029. Premiership clubs earn about £30m a season from the current agreement.

The aim is for Scottish top-flight clubs to be earning £50m a year by 2029.

That is already happening in Norway, according to Norwegian media, who say the current domestic rights package in the country is worth more than £50m per season. From 2029 that is reported to rise to over £60m.

So how does that impact the national team? More revenue for clubs would offer more money to improve infrastructure, facilities and academies across the country.

And during a time when Scottish sides are continually losing youth talent to clubs with greater resources – regularly from south of the border – more cash should, in theory, mean a bigger playing budget to encourage talent to stay.

There would still have to be a path to first-team football, though, something Scottish clubs have been encouraged to vastly improve following a report from the Scottish FA that detailed how clubs in Scotland are failing to bring through enough young players.

Despite a recent return to major tournaments, Wright sympathises with Scotland and their fans after a generation of missed opportunity.

And judging by the social media reaction that followed his passionate comments, which came before Scotland had even kicked off their final group game against Brazil, he does not seem to be the only one.