Is Hearts' McPake poised to gatecrash Pocognoli's Scotland squad?

What the report says

Josh McPake’s rapid rise at Hearts is prompting debate about whether he could earn a Scotland call-up under new national team head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. BBC Sport reported that Pocognoli watched from the stands as Hearts beat Hibernian in the Edinburgh derby, a match in which McPake played a central role.

The winger, who joined Hearts from St Johnstone in the summer after agreeing a pre-contract earlier in the year, has made an eye-catching start in Gorgie. In eight games, BBC Sport said he had scored two goals and provided four assists, and his form has led to growing calls for him to be considered for Scotland. In the derby, he helped set up Hearts’ opener and later scored a solo goal, adding to the impression that he can influence high-level matches.

BBC Sport also noted McPake’s longer route into prominence, having come through Rangers’ youth system and spent several loan spells before finding regular success. That background helps explain why attention around a possible international breakthrough has been building more cautiously, even as his club form improves.

The article placed McPake alongside other Hearts players, including Calvin Miller and James Wilson, who were also discussed as potential Scotland options. The broader point, as BBC Sport framed it, is that Pocognoli’s early selections may signal room for fresh faces ahead of upcoming fixtures, with McPake now firmly in the conversation.