Scottish forward Ben Ure is quickly making a name for himself at Sevilla following his summer move from Swedish side IK Sirius, and now finds himself weighing up his international future between Scotland and Ukraine.
The 22-year-old arrived in Spain on the back of a prolific campaign in Sweden, where he scored 20 goals and added three assists in 20 appearances across all competitions during the ongoing season. That form was enough to convince Sevilla to bring him in, and he has wasted little time making an impact.
Ure made an instant impression on his debut, coming off the bench at half-time in Sevilla's La Liga opener against Rayo Vallecano and winning a stoppage-time penalty that helped secure a 2-1 win. A week later, he earned his first start as Sevilla beat a 10-man Athletic Club side 3-1 in Bilbao, a result that lifted the Andalusian club to the top of the table.
Although Ure played the full 90 minutes in Bilbao and his underlying numbers suggest it was a tough opening start, his tireless pressing played a role in unsettling Spain's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Unai Simon during the buildup to Sevilla's opening goal. He is still searching for his first goal for the club, but his scoring record in Sweden—31 goals in 50 appearances for Sirius—suggests it may not be long in coming.
His rise has not gone unnoticed on the international stage. Eligible to represent Ukraine through his grandparents, Ure has received interest from that federation. However, he made clear last month that his heart lies with Scotland, the country for which he has represented at Under-19 level.
"My ambition is to play with Scotland one day," Ure told the BBC. "But I have no stress for that situation. I feel like what I do at club level will give me the opportunities I deserve."
He added: "There's been contact [from Ukraine]. But it's not a decision I would rush. I certainly feel I'd want to play for Scotland."
Ure's journey to Sevilla has been anything but straightforward. After just three senior appearances and a single goal for Rangers, he moved to Anderlecht in Belgium, where he spent 18 months struggling for regular first-team football despite standing out for the club's reserve side. A switch to Sweden in 2025 proved to be the turning point in his career, transforming him into what Helsingborgs manager Stevie Grieve describes as a complete forward capable of spearheading Scotland's attack.
"You could see his raw potential when he first arrived," said Grieve, who faced Ure twice while the striker was playing in Sweden's second tier. Speaking to BBC Scotland, he elaborated: "You could see the willingness to run in behind, the strength to hold off defenders, and the touch and the finishing were there. But over the past year the timing of the runs, the dropping in and the link-up play have improved massively. He started to drop in like a false nine, turn away from pressure, switch it, link between the lines and release runners. He's a large part of why Sirius are top of the league."
Interestingly, Ure's talent was spotted even before his professional breakthrough. A now widely shared clip from the Open Goal podcast shows host Si Ferry recalling how he once tried to sign Ure for junior side East Kilbride back in 2023, shortly before his move to Anderlecht—a moment that has taken on new significance given how far the striker has since come.
With Sevilla flying high in La Liga and Ure adapting quickly to Spanish football, all eyes will now be on whether Scotland moves to secure his international allegiance before Ukraine does.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.