Kieron Bowie has become the latest in a long list of Scots to move to the Serie A; swapping Hibs for Hellas Verona. This interestingly makes him the third ex-Hibs player to sign for Verona in recent years, following Scottish Cup hero Liam Henderson and youth academy product Josh Doig.
Many fans and pundits alike have praised Hibs for their end of the business by getting more money than what they believe Bowie is worth, but I’ll play devil’s advocate and the €7,000,000 is fee is good business on Verona’s end too. After all, he’s not the first Scot to move to Italy and face doubters. Just look at Scott McTominay who was dispatched to Napoli with many Manchester United fans glad to see the back of him, but he’s now truly re-invented himself as a Maradona like figure in Naples; a Balon D’or nominee and arguably an all-time great for the Scotland National Team.
Likewise, Liam Henderson has now made a career in Italy, playing for six clubs since his 2018 switch to Bari. Lewis Ferguson is a Coppa Italia winning captain in Bologna and Billy Gilmour is also a Serie A champion in Naples.
Tennents Super included, Scottish exports to Italy tend to be extremely popular. The players often go for cheaper fees, making them easier to be perceived as bargains whilst the community nature of Scottish football leads to players who ‘get it’. Becoming fan favourites by giving their all and understanding the importance of representing these communities within Italian football. Much like in Scotland, where one’s club is their very identity.
Despite Hellas Verona sitting bottom of Serie A, with relegation likely, there shouldn’t be any doubts that Bowie will be a success in Italy and worth his fee, even if he has to go through Serie B to build a reputation first.
When watching Bowie play, a lot of similarities between himself and Romelu Lukaku can be seen. Although a controversial striker who divided opinion in the Premier League, his impact in Italy cannot be denied, averaging a goal every other game in the Italian top flight. If he can build on his physicality and holdup play whilst also being able to continue his respectable goal scoring record, there’s no doubt that Bowie will go on to have a good career in Italy, making his €7,000,000 fee look like a real coup.
Hibs of course have a sell-on clause too, so if he is a success in Verona another windfall should be expected in Leith.
The move may come at the perfect time for Bowie too. Steve Clarke favours many of his players paying their trade in the Serie A, so if he can hit the ground running abroad, he will find himself on the plane to America for this summer’s World Cup. This is even with his place being contested just now as he competes with Lyndon Dykes, Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland. Ipswich striker George Hirst has too received frequent call-ups for the national side as well.
