District trio Nicola Docherty, Sam Kerr and Leah Eddie earn call-ups to Scotland squad for opening UEFA Euro 2025 qualifiers

Three district footballers will help make up the 23-strong squad selected by Scotland head coach Pedro Martínez Losa ahead of the opening UEFA Women's EURO 2025 qualifying double-header against Serbia and Scotland.

Redding native Nicola Docherty, who captained Rangers to a second successive Sky Sports Cup trophy last weekend, is joined by Falkirk duo Sam Kerr and Leah Eddie.

Hibs star Eddie didn’t managed any minutes on the pitch during the recent Pinatar Cup tournament, and she will be hoping to add her to seven caps having excelled for the capital club this season in the SWPL.

Over in Germany, Bayern Munich ace Kerr has continued to get minutes on the pitch, mainly as a substitute, helping the Bavarian giants to six straight wins in the Google Pixel Bundesliga. They now sit top of the table ahead of title rivals VfL Wolfsburg.

She is also joined in the squad by ex-Central Girls team-mate Fiona Brown, who hails from Stirling but started out her playing career at the likes of the Falkirk club and Stenhousemuir.

Scotland visit Leskovac, Serbia, on Friday, April 5 before hosting Slovakia four days later at Hampden Park in League B Group 2. The group is completed with Israel, who the Scots then face in a double-header.

The qualifiers will take place between April and July, with the tournament scheduled for July 2025 in Switzerland.

"We want to qualify for the Euros and we know what the route is," said boss Martínez Losa. "The aim is to be first in the group and then prepare for the play-offs."

"The group has been showing elements of consistency. We're confident that opponents like Serbia and Slovakia are opponents we can compete with, get the three points and continue building the energy for the next camp."

In what is a convoluted qualification campaign, the top two teams from the League A groups will qualify automatically, with the other two sides entering the play-offs. The nations in Leagues B and C - including the Scots - are competing to reach the play-offs.

Scotland’s squad

Goalkeepers: Lee Gibson (Glasgow City), Sandy MacIver (Manchester City), Jenna Fife (Rangers).

Defenders: Nicola Docherty (Rangers), Leah Eddie (Hibernian), Sophie Howard (Leicester City), Rachel Corsie (Aston Villa), Jenna Clark (Liverpool), Kirsty Smith (West Ham United).

Midfielders: Sam Kerr (Bayern Munich),Jamie-Lee Napier (Bristol City), Amy Rodgers (Bristol City), Fiona Brown (Glasgow City), Lisa Evans (Bristol City), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea), Hayley Lauder (Glasgow City), Chelsea Cornet (Rangers).

Forwards: Lauren Davidson (Glasgow City), Christy Grimshaw (AC Milan), Claire Emslie (Gotham City), Amy Gallagher (Celtic), Sarah Ewens (Rangers), Jane Ross (Rangers).