There are footballers who take the well-worn path — academy, first team, international recognition — and then there is Luis Binks. The 25-year-old centre-half, now captain of Danish Superliga side Brøndby, has taken a route so winding that even he admits it feels like a blur at times. Yet every detour, it seems, has deposited him somewhere useful. His latest destination is La Manga, where Scotland are preparing for their Nations League opener against Slovenia in Ljubljana on Saturday.

Binks qualifies for Scotland through a grandparent from Dunbar, and he is among eight uncapped players called into the squad by new manager Sébastien Pocognoli. The Belgian, who replaced Steve Clarke, has moved swiftly to reshape the defensive options available to him, having parted ways with established figures Grant Hanley and John Souttar. That departure has opened the door for Binks to walk through — and, by his own telling, he has no intention of leaving quietly.

"Deep down I want to leave a mark on this team," he said while speaking at Scotland's training base in La Manga. It is a straightforward ambition, delivered without bluster. That measured confidence will have been forged across a career that has taken him from Tottenham Hotspur's youth ranks to Montreal Impact, then on to Bologna, Como, Coventry City and ultimately Brøndby. He has adapted in spades.

A Covid lockdown and a footballing icon

The chapter that stands out above all others came during the earliest weeks of his time at Montreal in early 2020. Binks had joined in February, aged 18, determined to escape the perpetual holding pattern of elite youth football. "I didn't want to get caught up in the whole youth system," he explained. "I feel that if you get caught in that, it's not real football."

Real football, however, was about to be suspended by a global pandemic. Within weeks of his arrival, Covid-19 brought everything to a halt. Binks found himself without an apartment, his hotel shutting its doors around him. His manager at the time — Thierry Henry, one of the finest footballers the game has ever produced — was staying at the Ritz-Carlton nearby, and made an offer that would have seemed unthinkable to most teenagers: come and take a floor.

The two of them spent weeks as the only residents of a five-star hotel, an 18-year-old centre-half and a World Cup winner, sharing time in a city under lockdown. Binks recalls spotting Henry sitting alone in the reception each morning after his runs, and seizing the chance to pick his brains. One evening, the call came through asking if he fancied going out for a pizza. "There's me and him driving around Montreal looking for a pizza," Binks said. "It's a bit surreal."

What he took from those conversations went beyond the novelty of the situation. Henry spoke at length about Sol Campbell — what made him exceptional as a defender, how a young centre-half could learn from those qualities. "I owe a lot to him," Binks said, "because he gave me my first chance in senior football."

Captain's armband and international ambition

Those early lessons have clearly taken root. Having joined Brøndby in the summer of 2025, Binks did not take long to earn the captaincy — a role he describes as sitting naturally with him, having led Tottenham's age-grade sides for much of his development years. The responsibility, he says, is something he welcomes rather than shrinks from.

It is that same instinct which has him approaching this Scotland camp not merely as an observer. He acknowledges it is his first time meeting most of the group and that earning a debut against Slovenia will require patience and performance on the training pitch. Yet the ambition is clearly there, articulated without arrogance but with a quiet certainty that suggests Pocognoli has added someone with genuine character to his squad.

Scotland kick off their Nations League campaign in Ljubljana on Saturday. Whether Binks starts or not, his story — from Spurs academy to pandemic hotel rooms to the Danish top flight — is already one of the more compelling in a squad full of new faces and fresh beginnings.

FAQs

Frequently asked

How does Luis Binks qualify to play for Scotland?
Luis Binks qualifies for Scotland through a grandparent from Dunbar. International eligibility rules allow players to represent a nation if a grandparent was born there.
What clubs has Luis Binks played for?
Binks came through Tottenham Hotspur's academy before moving to Montreal Impact, then had spells at Bologna, Como, and Coventry City. He joined Danish Superliga club Brøndby in the summer of 2025 and became their captain.
When is Scotland's next match and who do they play?
Scotland travel to Ljubljana to face Slovenia in their Nations League opener on Saturday. The match is part of new manager Sébastien Pocognoli's first competitive campaign in charge.