Malky Mackay has never managed Australia – but he has the unique distinction of handing Socceroos forward Jason Cummings his senior international breakthrough.
Cummings is part of the Aussie squad which made it through the group stage of the World Cup earlier this week, with a last-16 tie against Argentina awaiting them on Saturday.
His only outing in the tournament so far came as a substitute in their opening 4-1 defeat to France.
It was just his second cap, having netted a penalty on his debut in a friendly against New Zealand in September.
After making the switch to Central Coast Mariners earlier this year, Cummings subsequently opted to represent Australia who he qualified for due to his Perth-born mother.
Although he had previously won two caps for Scotland, both outings came in friendlies which left no barrier to him joining up with Graham Arnold’s squad.
The man responsible for Cummings’ first Scotland call-up was current Staggies boss Mackay, who was placed in charge of the national team for a friendly against Netherlands in November 2017 following the departure of Gordon Strachan.
Cummings was among a number of Scotland debutants who were pitched in against the Dutch at Pittodrie, along with Ryan Jack, Ryan Christie and Callum McGregor who have since become fixtures in the national team squad.
Mackay recalls Cummings’ late chance to equalise
Although success in a Scotland jersey never came Cummings’ way, Mackay says his national team career could have panned out differently had he taken a late chance to equalise in the 1-0 defeat.
Mackay said: “Jason was at Nottingham Forest at the time.
“We were bereft of forwards, and I knew Jason had got his move to Forest.
“He was lively during the week, I could tell he was a sniffer and there were goals in him.
“But in one sense I’m still gutted at an absolute sitter he missed with five minutes to go.
“He was in a great position, and on any other given day somebody like him would have slotted it in the bottom corner. He just passed it straight into Jasper Cillessen’s hands.
“That night, there might have been four or five new caps I gave.
“Ryan Jack played and a lot of the Aberdeen fans were booing him, until 20 minutes in when Memphis Depay was in his pocket. That turned to claps and cheers because he was terrific on the night.
“It was Callum McGregor’s first game along with Ryan Christie, and John McGinn hadn’t played too many.
“I made Kieran Tierney captain at centre back, with the likes of Ryan Fraser and Kenny McLean playing as Stuart Armstrong got injured the night before the game.”
Move to Australia shows bravery
Cummings has another link to the Staggies, whose chief executive Steven Ferguson is the Edinburgh-born forward’s uncle.
Since leaving Dundee to go Down Under in January he has enjoyed success, with 12 goals in 25 A-League appearances.
Mackay is pleased the decision to embrace a fresh setting has paid off for Cummings.
The Staggies boss added: “I’m delighted for him that he’s been brave enough to go and do that with Australia.
“He could quite easily have come back to Scotland. He could have taken an easy ride and come back here, and one of the teams would have taken him.
“Now he has been brave enough to go out there, and again have to settle in a place over the far side of the world, and try to make it work.
“He scored a penalty in one of the games for Australia and he’s now at the World Cup as an international footballer. “
Forward still has time on his side
Cummings initially rose to prominence with Hibernian, before earning a switch to Nottingham Forest in summer 2017 for a fee believed to be over £1 million.
He was unable to make the breakthrough at Forest, with spells at Rangers, Peterborough United, Luton Town and Shrewsbury Town before his return to Scotland with Dundee.
At 27, Mackay insists Cummings still has plenty time to make a major impact in his career.
He added: “England is difficult. I have been there myself, and my first year in England was hard.
“I lost my place, and was wondering ‘what am I doing here?’ a year into a four-year deal at Norwich.
“You have to dig in, and find a way back in. it’s a tough, unrelenting set of leagues, in a country with 60 million people.
“He’s not old at all. He was only a pup when I had him five years ago, so he’s still a great age.
“Now he’s in that squad, why should he not be going to the next World Cup and the Asian Championships with them?
“He can really make it the second half of his career that alights. That’s how mine was, the first part of my career was quiet but it was once I got older that things happened. Why should that not happen for him?”
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