George Hirst has admitted that his call-up to Scotland’s World Cup squad did not feel real until he joined up with his team-mates this week. The Ipswich Town striker was named in Steve Clarke’s 26-man party for the tournament in the United States, describing the moment he found out as a “massive relief”.
The 27-year-old was on holiday in Portugal when he received the news, 45 minutes before the public announcement. “I was actually golfing with a couple of mates and had a putt for birdie – I ended up making double bogey,” Hirst said. “I couldn’t contain my excitement. It’s a dream for any kid to go to a World Cup, and I’ll be forever grateful to the manager for giving me this opportunity.”
Hirst, who has scored once in eight appearances since his debut last year, admitted he feared he might miss out. “There was a world where I was in the squad and a world where I wasn’t. I wasn’t naive to that,” he said. “I had honest conversations with the manager in March, and he told me to do as much as possible at Ipswich to show I deserved a place on the plane. It was a massive relief when that email finally came through.”
The forward faced stiff competition for a spot, with established strikers Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes joined by in-form Lawrence Shankland, Tommy Conway, Oli McBurnie, and Ross Stewart. Conway missed out through injury, McBurnie was left out, and Stewart edged ahead of midfielder Lennon Miller. Hirst acknowledged the pressure: “There were games where I didn’t score and then someone else did on Sky Sports. But I focus on what I can offer – goals, assists, or just running hard. I’m not a striker bogged down by a lack of goals. I’m my own harshest critic, and if I’m proud of my performance, I know others will be too.”
He added that the past week had felt surreal. “It hasn’t really sunk in until I got here. Now it’s real, and it’s go time. I can’t stop smiling,” Hirst said.
