George Stanger has been selected to represent New Zealand at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this summer.
The 20-year-old was born in Melrose but he qualifies for New Zealand through his mother, Bid, who was born in Auckland.
Stanger has already represented New Zealand at under-20 level and he comes from a reputable sporting background as his father, Tony, was a Scotland rugby international.
The Hamilton Accies defender will jet off to the far east as part of the squad for the prestigious event which will take place from Friday, July 23 to Sunday, August 8.
New Zealand have been drawn in Group B of the 16-team event alongside Korea Republic, Honduras and Romania.
Brazil, famously led by Neymar, won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and they will be strong favourite to retain their crown this year.
There has been controversy surrounding the football event at the games with Liverpool refusing Mo Salah permission to represent Egypt, as the superstar would miss the Anfield side's pre-season preparations.
Although Stanger will miss the start of Accies' Championship campaign, the club will grant him permission to travel due to the magnitude of the opportunity to play on a major stage.
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