More international recognition for Hibs as yet ANOTHER star earns first call-up for vital World Cup qualifiers

Hibernian’s spectacular surge up the Scottish Premiership table has earned another of their top performers international recognition, as Jack Iredale becomes the latest Easter Road star to earn a first Socceroos call-up. The central defender joins Australia regulars Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller, as well as Nectar Triantis, in the squad gathering for crucial World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia next month.

Iredale has been an absolute stand-out during his team’s climb from dead last to securing third place with a game to spare, the 29-year-old left-sided defender’s introduction to the starting XI coinciding with a dramatic upturn in form. Born in Scotland but raised in the ‘other’ Perth, Western Australia, the former Greenock Morton, Cambridge United, Carlisle and Bolton Wanderers regular joined Hibs on deadline day at the start of the season.

After recovering from a niggling injury, he had to bide his time before being throwing into a team in crisis, with his availability allowing first-year head coach David Gray to switch to a back three. Hibs then put together a record-equalling 17-game unbeaten run in the league, including beating Celtic at Easter Road and Rangers at Ibrox, before wrapping up their status as Best of the Rest behind Scotland’s big two with their midweek draw against St Mirren in Paisley.

Aussie ambitions ‘one of the reasons I joined Hibs’

While Boyle and Miller are already established members of the Socceroos squad looking to qualify for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico next summer, Iredale’s call-up reinforces the ability of Hibs to provide a platform for players seeking international recognition. Especially as he’s the second Hibee in the space of a few months to earn a call-up from the Aussies.

Australia boss Tony Popovic handed Triantis his first involvement during the last international window, having cited the Sunderland loanee’s eye-catching performance in that win over Celtic as evidence of the midfielder’s development in his second loan spell at Easter Road. Although Triantis didn’t get any game time in the World Cup wins over Indonesia and China, he’s been called up again for this training camp.

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Iredale, who won the PFA Scotland Goal of the Year award for his stunning strike in March’s Edinburgh derby win over Hearts, has spoken about his international aspirations since breaking into the Hibs team. Speaking just last week about potential contact with Popovic, he declared: “Hopefully I see him in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed, hopefully I can manage to break in. But if not, I know I'm at a place where I'm happy, and I'm playing football, and good things will come, I'm sure.

“It was actually one of the factors of why I decided to come to Hibs, because I knew playing at a club as big as this had international eyes on it. And then when we had Millsy and Boyle in the team, obviously Nectar's come in, he's done really well, and there was a lot of Australian internationals coming through in Scotland.

“So that was one of the driving factors, and I'm really glad I've came here. We’ve had a couple of Aussies at Easter Road as well with the Australian flag, so it's nice, home away from home, I get a bit homesick, but it's nice when you see the familiar colours.”

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