Striker Dykes ‘ready to start’ against Israel after choosing Scotland
● Scotland coach Reid expects striker to be up to speed for a debut against Israel
S cotland coach Steven Reid believes Lyndon Dykes is ready to make his debut from the start against Israel at Hampden Park on Friday night.
The Queens Park R angers striker was only confirmed as having opted for Scotland over Australia, where he was born and grew up, last week. The 24-year- old, whose parents are both Scottish, is now in line to make his full debut in the Nations League clash against Israel after Oli Mcburnie and Lawrence S hank land withdrew from the squad on Sunday evening.
“He is certainly going to be up to speed,” said Reid. “Looking at his physique and frame he obviously looks after himself. It has been a busy few weeks for him. But yes, he is in with a good shout of playing.
“We will assess it as the week goes on,” he added. “We are looking forward to seeing a little bit more of what we did this morning – that training performance was not like some - one who was nervous and finding their feet. He hit the ground running and was bright and was a positive personality on the training pitch.”
Reid described Dykes as capable of worrying the best defenders in the world.
“I’ve personally been to a few of the games to watch him up at Livingston last season,” he said. “He gave some of the big boys a real difficult afternoon. We can only hope that he continues that in training and takes it into the game. There’s no doubt he will be getting games at some point in time – it’s assessing the strength and weaknesses of the opposition and choosing the right time.
“But yes, he is in with a good shout [v Israel]. He has plenty to offer. Players like Lyndon, it is always going to be a difficult game for any defender – whether you are a top defender in the world or not. He is one of those physical attacking players that certainly towards the end of my career, when I was a defender, I hated playing against.”
Dykes himself has spoken for the first time about the decision to opt for Scotland over Australia, where he was born and raised. He said he felt he owed it to Scotland, where his career has taken off since joining Queen of the South for a second spell from Gold Coastbased club Surfers Paradise Apollo in 2016.
He then moved onto L ivingston, where his continued goalscoring form earned him a £2m move to English Championship club Queens Park Rangers earlier this month.
“Scotland gave me a chance in my career, really ,” said Dykes. “Without this country, I wouldn’t be where I am in football. So that was a major thing in my head. From the get-go, I wanted to play for Scotland. My parents are Scottish and my son was born in Scotland.”
● Striker in line to make his full debut against Israel, reveals why he decided to answer the call of Scotland rather than Australia and how a former international centre forward much loved by the Tartan Army helped him as he made his name north of the Border
Weh ear much about the inspirational properties of the dreaming spires of Oxford but what about the smoking chimneys of Moniaive? Memories of childhood visits to the Dumfries and Galloway village where his father is from helped convince Lyndon Dykes to answer the call of Scotland.
Other factors came into consideration as well of course, including gratitude. After all, Dykes has made his name as a player in Scotland, firstly at Queen of the South and then, more recently, at Livingston. He joined Queens Park Rangers in a reported £2 million move earlier this month but has made a quick return north of the Border after informing Steve Clarke, pictured below, he had chosen to play for Scotland over Australia, where he was brought up by two Scottish parents. His older sister, H ollie, has already represented Australia at top -level sport. Dykes watched her win four medal sin gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games when they were held in Melbourne in 2006.
He most certainly is Scottish if his indifferent response to whether she might now make the trek to watch him play for Scotland–as soon as restrictions allow – is anything to go by. “If she wants to come and watch me play for Scotland, she can do that, no bother,” he said. It’s only a matter of time until he’s saying “Nae bother”. His son, Tiime, he explained yesterday from the squad camp, was born here so the family unit is firmly rooted in Scotland even if he himself grew up playing rugby league in the sunshine on Australia’s Gold Coast. Few Scottish international football careers have had such unconventional origins. Dykes is in line to make his full debut in Friday’s
Nations League clash with Israel at a sadly almost deserted Hampden Park.
“I came for a few holidays when I was younger, with my dad,” Dykes said as he recalled formative adv entu resin his father’s native Moniaive, 20 miles from Dumfries. “It is a small village and I remember it sn owing down. My favourite memory was smellin ga ll the chimney sin the town, something that always stuck in my head,” he added.
“I had a Scotland kit when I was young, even though my dad was never a major football person, so
I didn’t watch a lot of games when I was little. But I’ve always had friends who are Scottish and English. I played with a lot of people in Australia who had moved there from Scotland. So I was always in that environment where half of them were Celtic fans and the other half were Rangers fans. I always knew what was going on. The Scottish blood is in me.”
Nevertheless, less than a year ago he was still undecided. If anything, it seemed he was veering towards Australia.
Ago alan dan outstanding performance in Livingston’s 2-0 win over Celtic last October meant his Scotland credentials were suddenly on the agenda. Even his then manager, Gary Holt, admitted he had not been aware his striker qualified for Scotland until the morning of that game.
The fact Dykes established his name in Scotland counted for a lot in the end. “Scotland gave me a chance in my career, really,” he explained. “Without this country, I wouldn’t be where I am in football. So that was a major thing in my head.
“From the get-go, I wanted to play for Scotland ,” he claimed. There was some interest from Australia, for whom he had previously played only at schoolboy level. “Obviously I
“From the get-go I wanted to play for Scotland… I’m ready to get my head down, work hard and win games”
LYNDON DYKES
spoke with Graham Arnold and Rene Meulensteen [manager and assistant manager] – they were always great with me. But, in the end, speaking with Steve Clarke here, he knows what we spoke about before lockdown, he knows how I reached my decision. I’m just ready to get my head down, work hard and win games.
“A lot of people would have said that Australia was the easy route. But, with the squad that they have here in Scotland and the boys coming through as well, it’s only a matter of time before we get back to where we should be. My job is to do my best and push Scotland on further.”
As well as his family, someone else helped pull on his heartstrings when it came to plumping for Scotland over Australia, who, like the Scots, are not overly blessed with options up front. James Mcfadden already occupies an enduring place in the heart of the Tartan Army but, if Dykes turns out to be the S cotland No 9 a nation has been crying out for, there will be yet another reason to revere him. They played together at Queen of the South, when Mcfadden was in the twilight of a career that included a famous winning goal for Scotland against France in Paris 13 years ago next month.
“That’s someone I look at and think ‘I want to be like him’,” said Dykes. “He was great for Scotland. He came in with Gary Naysmith and he was a great lad. I got on with him straight away and he gave me great advice.
“He taught me a lot of things on the pitch and off the pitch. I speak to him for advice in my career as well, I’ve rang him up loads of times.
“He’ s always had good words to say to me and has always been there for me. He’s always been top class to me.”