If the pride of wearing the national jersey translates into goals, Tommy Conway will weigh in with a wheelbarrow load for Scotland.

He may have grown up in and around Bristol – and his accent proves it – but his family roots mean a lot when it comes to football.

“I know my grandfather will look down and be proud. I had my family in Hampden as well, so overall it’s just a really proud day,” Conway said after making his international debut against Finland in June.

“Playing on the international stage for your country is the pinnacle for me.”

This was a match in which he almost gained instant hero status. He could have – perhaps should have – scored a late, dramatic winner. His header, however, was saved by a superb reflex save from Viljami Sinisalo, who is now Kasper Schmeichel’s replacement at Celtic.

“I thought it happened for a split second. I obviously hit the goalie and Scott McTominay asked me why I didn’t score. I said I was just saving that for next time times.”

Scottish fans will hope he will be as lively in front of goal in dark blue as he is with one-liners.

Aston Villa’s McTominay and John McGinn have regularly found the net for Scotland in recent times. They had to do it.

Finding a goalscorer has been a problem for several Scottish managers. Could Conway be the answer?

Although Steve Clarke has not faced him at Euro 2024, the Scotland head coach has selected the Taunton-born striker from the Under-21s and appears to be evaluating him.

“Tommy has been good with the group,” Clarke said. “I know him quite well. He’s someone I’ve followed. He’s slightly different to the type of striker we have in the sense that he’ll try to get away from the defenders a little bit more.”

So what made Clarke promote from within and led to Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough offering him a four-year deal when his contract with Bristol City expired last summer?

The obvious answer is goals. Five appearances in 12 for Boro since moving to Riverside. Twenty-five in 92 games for Bristol City, whose academy he joined at the age of seven.