TWO former Portobello locals made their national team debut on the same day in Scotland’s victory over Lichtenstein.
The Edinburgh-born players Andy Irving and Josh Doig both attended the same primary school and both went to Portobello High School just one year apart.
Though Irving made his name playing for Hearts and Doig with Hibs, they are now on the same side after a Porty double debut last night.
Having played in League A of the UEFA Nations League this year, the men’s team went up against Lichtenstein yesterday in the World Cup qualifiers.
Irving and Doig made their international debut alongside Connor Barron, Kieron Bowie and Ross Doohan who hail from Aberdeenshire, Fife, and Clydebank respectively.
Portobello High School has commended the former students, calling their debut a “truly incredible achievement” and calling them “a credit to the school”.
Irving left school in S4 to play for Hearts and has since played for Türkgücü München and Austria Klagenfurt, before joining West Ham United in 2023, where he now plies his trade in the Premier League.
Doig similarly left school after S5 to pursue professional football, signing with Hibernian in 2019 and later playing for Italy’s Hellas Verona and now Sassuolo, with whom he has recently secured promotion to the Serie A, Italy’s top flight of football.
Portobello High School said yesterday: “What a moment tonight.
“Two of our former pupils, Andy and Josh, made their Scotland debut together this evening coming on at the same time to represent their country on the biggest stage.
“A truly incredible achievement.
“From the same primary school, through the same high school, to walking out side by side.
“Andy was a year above Josh and left school at the end of S4 to go full-time with Hearts, already representing Scotland at youth level.
“Josh stayed on to S5, captained the Scottish Schools team in 2019, then signed full-time with Hibs.
“Both lads were a credit to the school, grounded, determined, and full of potential.
“They’ve taken different paths in pursuit of their dreams: Andy now at West Ham and Josh playing in Italy.
“We’re so proud of them – what a moment for their families and their former teammates.”
