Josh McPake earns first Scotland call-up after long road back
Josh McPake has earned his first senior Scotland call-up at 25.
The Hearts winger was named by head coach Sebastien Pocognoli in his first squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, UEFA's competition for national teams. McPake was selected alongside Hearts team-mate James Wilson for the international break, according to Hearts.
At the time of selection he had scored two goals and made four assists. That start to the season was noted by the Scottish FA when Pocognoli named his squad. Hearts list McPake among their forwards in the first-team squad. He plays as a winger, a wide attacker tasked with beating defenders and creating chances.
Tynecastle has taken to him fast. Hearts supporters have adapted ABBA's Dancing Queen to sing that McPake is "having the time of his life", as reported by BBC Sport. It is the kind of chant that sticks when a player gives fans something to sing about.
The call-up caps a long and winding route. McPake was named Rangers academy player of the year in 2019. He made one first-team appearance for Rangers under Steven Gerrard, coming off the bench against St Joseph's in Europa League qualifying.
Six loan spells followed. He spent time with Dundee, Greenock Morton, Harrogate Town, Morecambe, Tranmere Rovers and Queen's Park. Each move meant new team-mates and new demands. None turned into a permanent home.
He left Rangers on 1 September 2023. What came next was hard. McPake spent nearly six months without a club before signing a short-term deal with Stirling Albion.
He made it count. He scored on his debut in Scottish League 1, the third tier of Scottish football. From there he rebuilt at St Johnstone and played his way back into the Premiership picture.
Hearts announced in January that he had agreed to join them when his St Johnstone contract expired. The move gave him a full-time stage in Edinburgh. He has used it well.
McPake has worn Scotland colours before. He scored the winning goal for the Under-19s against Germany as a youngster. Seven years passed between that academy recognition at Rangers and a senior camp.
What makes this stand out is the persistence behind it. Many players drift after that many loans and a long spell without a club. McPake kept going, dropped down a level to play, and climbed back up.
For fans, this means a fresh face with momentum. Pocognoli gets a direct wide player in form. McPake gets the week every kid practising in a cage dreams about.
