Martin Boyle doesn’t regret turning his back on Scotland as he targets a World Cup spot with Australia.
The country of his birth may have been knocked out by Ukraine at the play-off stage, but his adopted nation can still make it happen.
The Socceroos take on the United Arab Emirates on Thursday as they try to keep their Qatar 2022 dreams alive.
Boyle moved to his father’s country of birth in 2018 as he continued to be away in search of Scotland.
He has since won 16 caps, scored five goals, and hasn’t looked back since.
The former Hibs winger said: “It’s disappointing for Scotland but I’m sure they will bounce back.
“I’m just focused on Australia and being here.
“Obviously I have dual nationality. My family is a bit divided, but the idea of qualifying for a World Cup, given where I come from in my career, I would say it’s a bit surreal.
“By making the change, I don’t regret anything I did.
“The Socceroos made me feel welcome. I’d like to think every time I put on the shirt I gave 100 per cent and did pretty well.
“But these upcoming games, that’s where you can definitely make yourself a legend and put your name in the books.
“Qualifying for a World Cup, there are a lot of people in this team who have done that.
“Seeing myself there and making your family proud and the nation proud – that’s exactly where I want to be.
“I know how difficult it will be and I would like to play a big role in the games to come and hopefully I can score the games.
“I’m sure when the game comes we’ll all be excited. If we’re all there then I’m pretty confident we can get the result and move on to the next game.”
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