It's not often that Steve Clarke calls upon a new face, so when he does, he must be something to shout about, right?
That's what fans will be hoping for with Dominic Hyam as the Blackburn Rovers centre-back has been called up to replace Jack Hendry amid the Club Brugge man's latest injury setback. The 27-year-old has been biding his time to burst onto the international scene but after impressing as one of the Championship's most consistent defenders with Coventry, an impressive season at Blackburn finally looks to have earned him his chance.
With Hendry out, Hyam could get his first taste of international action and will be hoping for some minutes against Cyprus or Spain at a full Hampden. But who is he, what's with the Blackburn fans' nifty song in his honour, and what can Scotland fans expect from the new Tartan Army defender? Record Sport have you covered.
Dream come true
Eligible for Scotland and England, Hyam has spent his entire playing career down south and that will inevitably lead to curiosity from some fans on whether he falls into the Che Adams and Angus Gunn school of only switching to Scotland as it becomes apparent England won't happen. But that's decidedly not the case with Hyam.
Born in Leuchars, Hyam his Scotland-daft dad as his main influence and he's represented Scotland from Under-19 level. He also said earlier in March that it would "mean the world" to him to be called up alongside his former Under-21 teammates Scott McKenna and John McGinn.
He said: "I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me want to be there with them. They have fully deserved their call-ups and appearances. All I can do is focus on how I'm playing for Blackburn and see where it takes me, but that would mean the world to me."
The one and only
He's only been at Blackburn since the summer but Hyam is fast becoming a hero there as they motor towards the Championship playoffs. Picked up for a tidy £1.5m after two seasons with Coventry where he played virtually every minute, he's slotted straight into John-Dahl Tomasson's back line and rarely misses a game.
The Blackburn fans love him and sing "Hyam the one and only," an adaptation of the 1991 Chesney Hawkes hit, in his honour. If his trajectory keeps up then it could be Scotland fans singing his name in the next couple of years.
What's his game?
Steve Clarke loves his ball-playing defenders but Hyam falls more into the category of 'no-nonsense centre-back.' Crediting John Terry and Virgil van Dijk as his main influences, he's no stranger to stepping out for a cross-field pass, but winning headers and challenges is is bread and butter and he could be a solid option in the middle of the back three beyond Grant Hanley who seems to have the position nailed down.
He's honest and realistic about his position as he said: "You're probably not going to win the game from centre back, all I can do is focus on what I'm good at and try and keep the ball out of the net. That's something I have tried to focus on - being consistent, being available for the manager and making him not think twice about playing me. That's a good quality to have as a centre back."
And having captained Blackburn this season, he's one of the leaders on the pitch - even if he lets his football do the talking more than his mouth. He said: "I'm probably more one of them who leads by example and is always there and present, when it's tough or when it's good.
"That's how want my captain to be. The game's changed and you don't really get much response from someone who's barking and shouting, especially with the younger generation. I like my captain to be a role model. It's more of a lead by example role for me."
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