Euro 2020: Kevin Nisbet becomes first Hibs player in 47 years to play for Scotland in major finals

Kevin Nisbet has become the first Hibs player in 47 years to play for Scotland in a major finals after coming off the bench in the Euro 2020 opener against Czech Republic.

Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet has a strike on goal after coming off the bench in the 2-0 defeat to Czech Republic in the Euro 2020 opener at Hampden. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The 24-year-old striker replaced QPR’s Lyndon Dykes in the 79th minute of the Group D match at Hampden Park, which the Scots lost 2-0 thanks to a double from Bayer Leverkusen frontman Patrick Schick.

It is the first time a current Easter Road player has represented Hibs in an international tournament since John Blackley, one of Turnbull’s Tornadoes, pulled on the dark blue in the World Cup opener against Zaire in 1974.

Since then three Hibs keepers have made it into squads but Alan Rough and Andy Goram were the back ups at the World Cups in Mexico ‘86 and Italia ‘90, respectively, while Jim Leighton and fellow Hibee, midfielder Darren Jackson, were unused subs at Euro ‘96.

Nisbet, who earned his fourth cap, managed to get one shot on goal during his time on the park, but his powerful strike from the edge of the area three minutes after his introduction was held by Czech keeper Tomas Vaclik.

He also got his head to an Andy Robertson back post cross in the 94th minute but his goal bound attempt was blocked for a corner by the Czech defence.

The former Dunfermline and Raith Rovers striker scored his first international goal in a 2-2 friendly draw against the Netherlands in last week’s Euro 2020 warm-up match in Portugal.

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