Josh Doig ‘bursting with pride’ after ending long wait for Scotland debut

Josh Doig was “bursting with pride” to make his long-awaited Scotland debut in the 4-0 friendly win over Liechtenstein.

The Sassuolo left-back was first named in a squad in September 2022 but has had to bide his time amid competition from Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Greg Taylor.

The former Hibernian defender’s big moment came just before the hour mark in Vaduz on Monday evening.

“I’ve been in a few squads now, so I’m just absolutely delighted to get on the pitch, and obviously to get a win as well, it’s a good feeling,” the 23-year-old told BBC Scotland.

“After half-time, I got the shout that something like that was going to be going on, so I was bursting with pride when I got on the pitch. You’ve got a job to do, so you have to focus on that first, but I was absolutely delighted.”

Doig made a big impact with an enterprising display and came close to a debut goal when his shot was turned past the post.

“It was a bit of a hundred miles per hour when I came on, but I was just so delighted to actually get on the pitch,” he said.

“Obviously, I’ve been on a lot of squads, but at the same time, it’s not a bad thing. It’s an absolute honour just to be picked, to be playing alongside some of the guys on the pitch, world-class players.

“I’m just absolutely delighted to get on and just bursting with pride for me and my family.”

Doig has been happy to learn from his rivals for a place in the team.

“Obviously, in my position, you’ve probably got some of the best two left-backs in the world at the moment, so it can’t not help me being around them and being in that environment,” he said. “It’s obviously where you want to be at the end of the day.”

The landmark moment capped a successful season for the former Hellas Verona player, who played a key role in Sassuolo’s Serie B title triumph.

“It’s been a long season, a lot of ups and downs, but I’m obviously delighted to get promoted and this is just the icing on the cake to get my debut as well,” he said. “It’s been a good season all round.

“I love it there, absolutely love it. It’s such a nice part of the world where I stay, in Modena. Obviously I was in Verona before, it’s just two of the most beautiful places you could ask for.

“I couldn’t be happier, I’m really happy with where I am in my life right now and I’m looking forward to another season in Italy.”

Head coach Steve Clarke stated that the team that finished the game was maybe a “glimpse of the future” after handing out five debuts overall and giving Lennon Miller an impressive first start.