On Saturday, 11 May, 2024, when Stirling Albion were relegated to League Two after a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Dumbarton in the play-offs, you would have got long odds on a member of that Binos starting line up being in the Scotland squad within just over two years.
But's been an extraordinary few years for Josh McPake, who started that match, before kickstarting his career with St Johnstone and then earning a summer move to Hearts.
We caught up with the winger to discuss his first Scotland call-up, with the full interview appearing in Tuesday night's matchday programme.
Scotland supporters can still buy tickets for Tuesday night's UEFA Nations League match right up until kick off.
“It's been crazy,” McPake admitted. “The last couple of years have been absolutely mental.
“I feel like I was always confident though, that I could get back to the top. It's probably something that you need to have, because if you don't believe in yourself, I don't know who's going to believe in you.
“I feel like I’ve worked so hard in that last few years and I think you get out what you put in.
“I feel like throughout the whole time, even when I went to Stirling Albion, I thought I had the ability to get back up to the top level, it was just a case of getting my head down, working hard and earning it.
“I then got the move to St Johnstone and I loved my time there. I can’t thank them enough for what they did for me.
“I feel like they played good football but we also won a lot so that made it better as well.
That hunger was a factor in McPake signing a pre-contract with Hearts in January, while his impressive form this season since joining the Jambos has seen him become one of the stand-out players in the top flight this season - catching the eye of new Scotland Head Coach Sebastien Pocognoli, who included the winger in his first squad that was announced earlier this month.
McPake admitted his mind was only on performing for his new team at club level, though the phone call from Pocognoli came as a welcome boost.
He said: “I wasn't really thinking too much about a call-up to be honest. Just because, obviously, I'm still relatively new at Hearts so I was just focussing on what I was doing with Hearts at that moment, so it never really came to mind.
“The manager then texted me out of the blue just asking if he could give me a call at any point and then I got the call for him and I had a good chat.
“Obviously he told me I'll be involved in his squad, which I was delighted with and it was just magic.
“I knew a few of the boys coming in which has made it easier. I came through with Billy (Gilmour) and Nathan (Patterson) and I know James (Wilson) from Hearts too.
“I hoped I’d have the prospect of maybe being involved in a squad in the future so it spurred me on and made me want to go to Hearts and start well.
“Like I said, I’m looking forward to getting my head down, working hard and making sure I earn my shot and hopefully I get to make some sort of debut.”
You can read the full interview with McPake in the matchday programme, which will be available outside the ground and can also be purchased here.
