George Hirst has revealed that being named in Scotland's World Cup squad felt like a 'massive relief' and did not seem real until he joined his teammates on Tuesday. The Ipswich striker was selected by manager Steve Clarke for the 26-man squad last week.
'I Was Ecstatic'
The 27-year-old learned of his inclusion 45 minutes before the public announcement while playing golf in Portugal. 'I was ecstatic,' Hirst said. 'I found out 45 minutes before the rest of the world did. I was actually golfing in Portugal with a couple of mates at the time and had a putt for birdie and ended up making double bogey. I couldn't quite contain my excitement, even on the golf course. I couldn't believe it. It was a dream for me when you're a kid, to go to a World Cup as a footballer, and for the manager to give me that opportunity, I'll be forever grateful.'
Fierce Competition for Places
Hirst, who has scored once in eight internationals since his debut last year, admitted he feared for his place. 'There was definitely a world where I was in the squad, there was a world where I wasn't,' he said. 'I wasn't naive to that fact. In the March camp, I had conversations with the manager, pretty honest conversations. For the end of the season, it was just for me to do as much as possible at Ipswich and show why I deserve to be on the plane to America.'
The striker faced stiff competition from the likes of Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes, Lawrence Shankland, Tommy Conway, Oli McBurnie, and Ross Stewart. Conway missed out through injury, McBurnie was cut, and Stewart edged ahead of midfielder Lennon Miller. Hirst acknowledged the pressure: 'There were obviously games where I didn't score and then you look on Sky Sports and someone else did and you're like… I won't say it.'
Focus on Contribution
Hirst emphasised his all-round game: 'I try and do the best job possible, whether that's scoring a goal, getting an assist, or just running as much as possible, depending on the game. I'm not the striker that's bogged down by if I don't score, I've had a bad game. I'm very aware of what I can offer and what I can bring to any team. For me, it was just about really focusing on that and putting in performances that I can be proud of. I'm my own harshest critic, so if I can be proud of a performance I put in on a Saturday, then in my head I've no doubt that anyone else could be as well.'
Since arriving at the Scotland camp, Hirst's excitement has been palpable. 'The last week's been a bit weird. It's not really sunk in and felt like it's actually happening. I've got this email and it's like, right, is it actually real? As soon as I got here, it was like, okay, now this is real and it's go time. I just can't contain my smile, can't contain myself expressing how happy I am to be here.'
