Tribal Football

Ipswich forward Hirst earns first Scotland call-up as he switches allegiance from England

Zack Oaten
Ipswich forward Hirst earns first Scotland call-up as he switches allegiance from England
Ipswich forward Hirst earns first Scotland call-up as he switches allegiance from EnglandAction Plus
Ipswich Town forward George Hirst has been given his first Scotland call-up for the Nations League this month despite already playing for England in his youth.

Hirst has missed nearly two months of this season with a knee injury but is now back and one of the first names on Scotland head coach Steve Clarke’s squad once his paperwork went through. The 26-year-old is eligible to play for them through his paternal grandfather and took the first opportunity to join the side. 

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"George is somebody that we've had in mind for a few months," Clarke said on Tuesday. "I've watched him recently. He's a player that would help to give us more depth to that position." 

Hirst has scored four times for Ipswich this season, including their second in Saturday's 4-2 home defeat by Nottingham Forest as the weekend. He previously represented England at the youth level and after a “delay in the paperwork,” he will join up with Che Adams, Tommy Conway, Kevin Nisbet and James Wilson in Clarke's squad this month. 

Scotland are bidding to stay in League A as they prepare to face Greece who may be worried about Hirst who certainly knows how to find the back of the net. Town manager Kieran McKenna opened up on the news and revealed that it has been a goal for Hirst for a long time. 

“I know this has been a goal for George over the last couple of years - when we signed him we spoke about it. 

"He is proud of his Scottish heritage and was really keen to gain international honours with Scotland if possible. Like so many of the other boys, quite a few of the team have come from League One and are now senior internationals. 

“He’s worked really hard through the two divisions with us and has had a good impact this year. I think he really deserves international recognition."