Credit: Imago

James Barker

Mon 25 May 2026 13:10, UK

Luke Graham has flown back from his summer holiday as the Rangers-linked defender earns a World Cup opportunity.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a superb 2025-26 campaign for Dundee, appearing 41 times in total across all competitions, scoring three times and providing two assists to boot.

As such, he’s really announced himself on the Scottish Premiership stage, and that could spell danger for Dundee’s prospects of retaining his services.

Clubs in Scotland and England have been credited with an interest in the rising young star, as he looks set to land a big move away from Dens Park in the near future.

Graham looks to feature high up on Rangers’ summer transfer to-do list as well, in what could be a real whirlwind of a few months for him coming up.

Rangers-linked Luke Graham scraps holiday for the World Cup

Graham has been tipped for a big Rangers role if he makes the move to Ibrox this summer, as Gers could look to overhaul their centre-back department over the coming weeks.

Emmanuel Fernandez is sure to draw significant transfer attention, John Souttar may need upgrading on, whilst the likes of Derek Cornelius and Nasser Djiga return to their respective parent clubs.

Graham’s 2025-26 campaign has seen him emerge as one of the brightest young defenders in Scottish football, and that’s not gone unnoticed at international level either.

Indeed, the left-footed centre-back was due to fly out for his summer holiday following the conclusion of the season, but he’s now scrapped the sun lounger to remain in sunny Scotland after receiving the phone call of a lifetime.

As detailed in a report by the Daily Record, Graham is one of four players to have been called up to be part of Scotland’s World Cup team ahead of this summer’s tournament.

“The main thing is just pride. It is something I have been working towards my whole career,” Graham said on receiving the call from Steve Clarke.

“To get this sort of opportunity is amazing. It will be amazing. A lot of the players are national heroes. To be in and around it for a few days will be amazing in itself.

“I am absolutely buzzing with that. I was a bit shocked. I was planning on going on holiday with my missus this week.

“I’ve had to reschedule that to make it. I have managed to make it up to her because she is going away with her pal now.”

Will Graham be playing for Scotland at the World Cup?

No wonder Graham decided to cancel his holiday plans, as he will now head off to America to be part of the World Cup experience.

There he will link up with three Rangers players in Liam Kelly, Souttar and Findlay Curtis, who Ibrox chiefs may task with putting in some sales work on the Dundee star whilst over there.

However, Graham won’t be representing the Tartan Army on the pitch at the tournament, as his invite to be part of the World Cup team is only on a training basis to help bulk out the numbers.

But, if there are any dropouts for whatever reason before the tournament starts, the fact that Graham has made this group of four training call-ups would suggest he’s firmly in Clarke’s thinking as a potential replacement.

“There is James Wilson, Liam MacFarlane and Tyler Fletcher from Manchester United. We all know each from the under-21 camps,” Graham continued.

“It will be good to have people around us that we know. Obviously, Findlay Curtis is there as well.

“He is going to the World Cup and thoroughly deserves it. He is a very good player. I know him quite well.

“Young players want to go out and play as much as they can. He has done that, reaped the rewards from that and done very well.”

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