GEORGE HIRST could be set for a first Scotland call-up after Steve Clarke watched his FA Cup heroics tonight.
Clarke was at the City Ground to run the rule over Ipswich’s frontman.
Steve Clarke was spotted at the City Ground for the FA Cup tie[/caption]
George Hirst and Ben Johnson celebrated Ipswich’s opener at Nottingham Forest[/caption]
The striker is in-line for a cap call for the double header with Greece later this month[/caption]
SunSport revealed last July that 26-year-old Hirst — a former England Under-20 cap — was ready to declare for Scotland.
Now he could be involved in the Nations League play-off against Greece this month.
Hirst, son of former Sheffield Wednesday striker David, headed the opener in the fifth-round clash with Nottingham Forest.
And he could land a maiden call-up with Lyndon Dykes set to miss out due to injury.
Hirst Snr played three times for England, with George born in Sheffield during his dad’s time there with Wednesday.
Hirst Jnr failed to break through with the Owls and moved to Belgian Second Division side OH Leuven.
After a season, Brendan Rodgers signed him for Leicester but he was loaned out to Rotherham, Portsmouth and Blackburn over four years.
Hirst joined Ipswich on loan in January 2023, and helped them to back-to-back promotions before signing a permanent four-year deal.
He hit seven goals in Ipswich’s promotion campaign last term but has only three this campaign as he’s played understudy to Liam Delap.
He also missed four months with a serious hamstring injury last season, but returned for the final three games as they made the top flight.
Among his runouts for England’s youth teams, Hirst came on as a sub as they beat Scotland in the semi-finals of the 2017 Toulon Tournament.
Scotland head to Athens on March 20 before the return Nations League encounter at Hampden on March 23.
The Greeks will also be in Glasgow for World Cup qualifier in October and then play hosts again in November.
Asked about potential call-ups last November Hirst said: ““That is something for the future. I don’t know if that is tomorrow or five years down the line.
Scotland star Lyndon Dykes could miss the Greek double-header[/caption]
Hirst’s dad David was a striker for Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton[/caption]
“It is not something I have thought about, if I am being honest. I only got in the team last week against Brentford.
“All my energy up to that point had been getting in the team. From then on in, it is about scoring goals and trying to stay in the team, however, which way.
“It is something I am never going to rule out. Everybody wants to play at the highest level possible wherever that is.
“Right now, I wish I could say more but there is nothing more to say. I will keep doing all I can here and see where that takes me.”
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