Blues striker George Hirst is now eligible to play international football for Scotland, according to FIFA’s Change of Association Platform.
Earlier today, the 26-year-old was left out of the Scotland squad for their UEFA Nations League play-offs with Greece later this month as the paperwork regarding his switch from England was still to be completed, but with manager Steve Clarke saying he could be added to the party if confirmation were to come through before the games against the Greeks.
Now, FIFA’s Change of Association Platform is listing Hirst as having successfully switched from England, who he represented at U17, U18, U19 and U20 levels and for whom his father David was capped three times at full level, to Scotland, for whom he qualifies via his paternal grandfather, with the decision having been made today.
The Change of Association Platform outlines its role: "The FIFA Change of Association Platform is a key resource for the football community, providing details about players who have requested and obtained a favourable change of association decision from the Players' Status Chamber of the FIFA Football Tribunal to change their 'sporting nationality'.
"This list includes players who have transferred their affiliation to a new MA [member association] in order to be eligible to participate for their representative teams in international football.”
Whether Hirst is added to the Scotland squad for the Greece games remains to be seen with Clarke having suggested that that might require someone else to pick up a knock, although it would appear inevitable that someone will drop out.
The Scots play Greece in a two-legged Nations League play-off in Piraeus on Thursday 20th March and at Hampden Park the following Sunday.
Town keeper Cieran Slicker was named in the squad, the second time the 22-year-old has been included at senior level having skippered the U21s.