Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet on first Scotland goal and chance for shock Czech Republic start

Kevin Nisbet has described scoring his first goal for his country as the “pinnacle of his career”.

Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet celebrates scoring his first goal for Scotland in the 2-2 draw with the Netherlands (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP) (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Hibs striker struck just three minutes after coming on to put Scotland 2-1 up against the Netherlands. Memphis Depay’s late equaliser robbed Steve Clarke’s side of a win but the performance merited praise in any case – particularly with seven players missing due to Covid-related reasons.

Nisbet made the most of his chance when tapping in Andy Robertson’s cross to open his Scotland account in only his second cap.

“I am delighted,” said the 24-year-old. “For a striker it is something you always need to try and get over as quickly as possible. Scoring for your country is the pinnacle of your career – and thankfully I have done it. Hopefully others will come.”

Nisbet lost his father, Thomas, to cancer late last year. He also saw a move to Birmingham City fall through in January after Hibs rejected his transfer request.

“There have been ups and downs on and off the park, but this is another milestone ticked off for me,” he said.

“It is a very strong group, with seven probable starters left out. But there are some big names in our team and to come out and put a performance like that shows you the strength in depth.”

Nisbet believes he can convince Clarke to keep playing him, with one more friendly to come on Sunday against Luxembourg before Scotland kick-off their Euro 2020 adventure against Czech Republic.

“I am a very confident person,” he added. “I have always said I will score goals wherever I go, and I am doing that.

“We have Lyndon (Dykes) and Che (Adams) as well. They have shown they can score goals for Scotland so we have three strikers who can score goals which means we have options.

“It is great for us fringe players to get minutes and go and impress in games. Billy (Gilmour) made his debut tonight as well. It is great for us to go and impress and thankfully I scored tonight to put myself into the manager’s thoughts.”

How the Scotland players rated in 2-2 draw with Netherlands

Get a year of unlimited access to all The Scotsman's sport coverage without the need for a full subscription. Expert analysis of the biggest games, exclusive interviews, live blogs, transfer news and 70 per cent fewer ads on Scotsman.com - all for less than £1 a week. Subscribe to us today