Striker George Hirst could become the first Town player since John Wark and Alan Brazil in 1982 to represent Scotland at a World Cup finals when the Tartan Army face Haiti in their opening group match in Boston overnight (KO 2am, BBC One from 1.10am).

Wark started all three games for the Scots at the 1982 finals in Spain, while Brazil began the opening fixture against New Zealand and came on as a sub in the other two matches, against Brazil and the Soviet Union.

Midfielder Wark also became the first Blues player to score at a World Cup when he netted twice in three minutes in the 5-2 thrashing of the Kiwis, and remains the only Scot to have done so while with Town.

The most recent Blues player to feature at a World Cup was left-back Jonas Knudsen at the 2018 finals when he started and picked up an assist in Denmark’s round-of-16 on-penalties defeat to Croatia, following a 1-1 draw, in Russia.

The last Town player to score at a finals was Matt Holland, who smashed a brilliant equaliser in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Cameroon in 2002.

Hirst, who has won 10 full caps, scoring once, appears most likely to be a sub for Steve Clarke’s side in this evening’s game.

The 27-year-old is one of two current Blues players at the finals along with Ali Al-Hamadi, whose Iraq side are in action for the first time on Tuesday when they face Norway.

Ten players have featured at previous World Cups while with Town: Wark and Brazil (Scotland), Mick Mills, Paul Mariner, Terry Butcher (all England), Bontcho Guentchev (Bulgaria), Holland (Republic of Ireland), Amir Karic (Slovenia), Tommy Smith (New Zealand, who will also be at this summer’s finals) and Knudsen (Denmark).

John Elsworthy (Wales), George Burley (Scotland) and Bartosz Bialkowski (Poland) have been in squads for finals without playing, and in Elsworthy’s case in 1958, without travelling.

Photo: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters