Buckie Thistle are the strongest team non-league side in Scotland, according to Opta Power Ranking data

NEW data from statistic-gathering website Opta has ranked Buckie Thistle as Scotland's best non-league side.

Opta Analyst has released a new 'power rankings' tool, which has shown that the Jags – although slightly adrift of their rivals in the league table – top Brechin City as the Highland League's strongest club.

Opta's power rankings have assigned an 'ability score' to 13,477 football clubs from 413 leagues in 183 FIFA member states worldwide, in a bid to decide who the world's best team is.

The rankings will be updated weekly, but for now Buckie come in at 9167th, 34 places ahead of Brechin.

The Lowland League's top side, East Kilbride, rank 10,759, while Linlithgow Rose at 12,140 are the best side lower down the Scottish non-league set-up.

Elgin City are placed at 8608, with other Moray clubs Rothes (11,951), Forres Mechanics (12,629), Keith (12,898), Lossiemouth (13,000) and Dufftown (13,262) further down the rankings.

A team's score will change after every match, meaning that after a win – especially a shock one – teams can move up the leaderboard. Shock defeats will see teams sink down.

Bayern Munich are ranked as the world's best team by the metric, which has Celtic at number 57 and Rangers in 84th. Aberdeen don't quite make the top 1000 at 1116, while Inverness Caley Thistle are 2469th.

To find out your team's ranking, click HERE.

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