Ross County manager Jim McIntyre has tipped midfielder Jackson Irvine to become a regular fixture in Australia’s national team.
Irvine was this week called up by Socceroos manager Ange Postecoglou ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifying double-header against Bangladesh and Tajikistan.
The 22-year-old will hope to add to his solitary cap gained as a substitute in Australia’s 3-0 friendly win against Canada in London in October 2013.
After a successful loan spell from Celtic last season, Irvine returned to Victoria Park on a permanent basis this summer and has started all four Premiership matches this season.
McIntyre is delighted with Irvine’s call-up and says the midfielder can only improve with more games for the Staggies.
McIntyre said: “We’re delighted for Jackson and he deserves it. He’s picked up where he left off and considering he’d not played any competitive matches before he joined up with us, that says a lot about him as a person. Some players need five or six games to get going but we’ve seen his positive approach.
“There’s still more to come from him. We’re really pleased and that should give him all the confidence he needs – even though he’s already a confident boy.
“The one thing we’d said in the process was to come and stay at a club for a couple of years and get 100 games under the belt, and not only could he get a move on from that but he would get into the national side.
“He deserves all the credit because he’s put the hard work in. He’s a conscientious professional who works hard, so he deserves what he gets.
“If the team does well and a player is part of it, hopefully they’ll get recognition. That’s for international managers to decide though.”