Who was last Scottish-born player to qualify for World Cup knock-outs? Jason Cummings and Harry Souttar join select crew
SCOTLAND have famously never qualified through the opening round of a men's senior competition.
Elimination at the first stage of the three European Championships is a blot on the national record alongside EIGHT failed attempts to progress at the World Cup.
But there will be a Scottish accent - or three - in the latter stages this year.
Australia's Scottish influence at the World Cup in Qatar has seen the national team dubbed the 'Scot-eroos' with so many links back to Caledonia.
Graham Arnold's squad has a trio of Scots-born players in the ranks and plenty of other players plying their trade here.
Then there are the former stars like Jamie Maclaren and Jackson Irvine who have previously turned out for Scottish clubs - the links are plentiful.
Read More Scottish football
Jason Cummings, Martin Boyle and Harry Souttar all grew up in Scotland but now turn out for the Socceroos through family ties and they have joined a very select band of players born here to qualify for the knock-out rounds of the tournament representing other nations.
Who was the last player born in Scotland to reach a World Cup knock-out stage?
The trio DOUBLE the Scots-born tally over the last 30 years.
Before this year there had only been THREE players since Italia 90 to feature beyond the group stage.
Most read in Football
Stuart Holden was the last Scots-born player to be involved beyond the groups, qualifying with the USA in 2010.
Born in Aberdeen, the former Bolton midfielder moved to Houston, Texas, when he was 10 years old and qualified for the USMNT.
Under Bob Bradley they were eliminated by Ghana.
What about the other two?
Before him there was a US theme as well - via players playing there in 1994.
Two Scottish-born footballers - both born in Glasgow - were part of Jack Charlton's Republic of Ireland squad for the competition.
Ray Houghton, who grew up in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow scored the winner against Italy on the team's opening match which ultimately sent them through to the knock-out against Holland.
He was joined by former Celtic striker Tommy Coyne, then of Motherwell, in being involved.
Anyone else?
Back a little further, at Italia 90, Scotland were also close to having a semi-finalist... in distance terms.
Trevor Steven - an England international from under-21 level and 36 caps was born in Berwick-upon-Tweed just a few minutes south of the Scottish border.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
But Souttar, Cummings and Boyle were born much further up the east coast and are now in the latter stages, somewhere many of the players from their birthplace wish they could reach.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page