How Rangers star could become answer to pub quiz question with World Cup qualification

The Rangers defender knows he could become the answer to a pub quiz question and he ends up coming up against his brother, Harry, who plays for Australia. It wasn’t something they entertained ever happening when they were growing up in Angus.

A lot of water has to flow under the bridge before this unusual scenario plays out, although Scotland are getting nearer making it a possibility. A draw against Greece in Piraeus on Saturday night and win over Denmark on Tuesday would guarantee their own participation with Australia having qualified in June.

Harry is currently on the way back from serious injury at Leicester City but will be hoping to appear at a second World Cup having distinguished himself in Qatar in 2022, including when coming up against Lionel Messi in a last 16 clash which saw Australia narrowly exit the tournament at the hands of the eventual world champions. Brother John was watching from afar while at Rangers. The boys’ mother Heather was born in Western Australia, hence Harry being able to choose to play for a country who qualify routinely for the greatest show on planet football.

“Playing at the World Cup is the pinnacle for everyone,” said John, who was happy for his younger sibling but also slightly envious. “We’ve still got a long way to go to get there. Watching my brother do it a few years ago was amazing for me and my family to watch.

“Everyone dreams of doing it so tomorrow night we’ll be doing everything we can to get a positive result.

“Harry obviously loved it. All my family were over there and it was a proud moment for me watching him play in it, especially with how well he did.

“I didn’t make it over myself but the rest of the family was. I wouldn’t say there’s a competitive edge to myself and Harry’s relationship, not directly anyway. But if he gets to a World Cup, I’d like to match it aye. I think anyone would. We’re both pretty supportive and really close, we’ve got a good relationship.”

John was still in nappies when Scotland last got to a World Cup in 1998 while Harry had yet to be born. “My family went (to France ’98),” reported the Rangers defender. “My older brother, my dad and my uncle. It was a really big thing and I was always really conscious of that growing up.

“There were loads of pictures of it actually. Loads of folk from Brechin and the surrounding area all travelled to France for it. You grow up with it. I’ve not experienced it in my lifetime in terms of seeing Scotland in a World Cup, but everyone knows how big a deal it is.”

Missing out at Euro 2024 – he was cut from the provisional squad after friendlies against Gibraltar and Finland – was hard to bear but he is making up for it by becoming a mainstay of manager Steve Clarke’s defence.

"There was a good squad and good players ahead of me at the time,” he reflected. “But it’s one of these things in football. I try not to look back too much. But football can change quickly. I am in a good position now and I’ve played a lot for Scotland over the past year. Long may it continue.”