Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Ewan Paton

Jason Cummings makes Scotland World Cup dig after Australia switch

Jason Cummings admits it was an easy call to switch his international allegiances from Scotland to Australia.

That's because the ex-Hibs and Rangers star insists "Scotland don't qualify for the World Cup."

The striker made his Australia debut last year after being included in Graham Arnold’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Having made the move Down Under for his club career, Cumdog is now fully immersed in Aussie culture - and he appears to be loving every single minute.

He's currently back in the company of his international teammates ahead of their upcoming games friendly matches against Ecuador.

Cummings had two Scotland caps before opting to play for the country his mum was born in.

Although, those both came in friendlies, which meant he was eligible for Australia.

It now appears that he will be joined by fellow Scot, Alex Robertson.

The Manchester City kid was from Scotland but enjoyed his childhood in Sydney.

Arnold is also attempting to persuade Italians Alessandro Circati and Cristian Volpato to join the Socceroos.

Cummings said: "Alex is a good lad, he was at Ross County on loan - my uncle is a director there - and we were speaking about that.

"He's obviously a top player with a bright future There's a lot of great Australian players and it's a hard job, but he (Arnold) will be loving it, There'll be a new crop coming in with a lot of talent.

"That's what we're focused on now, the future - these friendlies, the Asian Cup (in 2024) and then the World Cup in four years time. It's up to those guys and their families to decide (where their loyalties lie).

"I love it here and it's a great, family environment. For me it was a no brainer because Scotland doesn't qualify for the World Cup."

Meanwhile, for Lyndon Dykes, the past couple of months have served a stark reminder that football is far from a matter of life and death.

So grave was the situation after he contracted pneumonia, all he was concerned about was pulling through a huge health scare for his family.

Sitting down with Dykes yesterday after he joined up with the Scotland squad, you would have no indication of what he had been through over the last few weeks. The big man looked the picture of health.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.