The 20-year-old Chelsea midfielder rose to the challenge in a way no English player could, as Scotland won a well-deserved 0-0 draw against England at Wembley Stadium.
Gilmour was named Man Of The Match after a classy performance, with and without the ball. He disrupted opposition attacks and sidelined his team
A bit like his Blues teammate N’Golo Kante, according to Dutch defender Patrick van Aanholt.
There has been even more praise for Gilmour from ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who delivered his verdict on talkSPORT full-time.
“The Gilmour kid made the difference,” Mourinho said. “He was still showing, he wanted the ball under pressure.”
Meanwhile, Gilmour manager Steve Clarke, Mourinho’s former assistant at Chelsea, must have felt justified enough to finally pick the young star.
“He has no nerves,” Clarke told talkSPORT. “He’s from the same part of Ayrshire as me. I know Billy well and I know he is well known at Chelsea.
“It was just picking the right time to put him on the team. I thought the team’s balance from back to front was good tonight and it showed in the performance.
Similarly, his team captain Andy Robertson also talked about Gilmour’s impressive performance.
He told ITV: “Right up there [as one of the best performances in a Scotland shirt].
“I spoke to him at the hotel today and just looked at him and nothing bothers him.
“I think he can have as many caps as he wants for Scotland, he has a huge future ahead of him, but here and now is also pretty good.”
