Hibs goalkeeper Ofir Marciano has been named in Willi Ruttensteiner’s Israel’s squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures against Scotland at Hampden Park on September 4 before meeting Slovakia three days later at the Diamond Stadium in Netanya.
Marciano has been in excellent form in the first five matches of the 2020/21 Scottish Premiership campaign, keeping three consecutive clean sheets in the last three games and he is yet to be beaten from open play.
The only goals he has conceded came from an outstanding free-kick by Chris Burke and a penalty against Livingston.
The fans’ favourite is in the final year of his contract but his family are settled in the capital and a new deal would be welcomed by all concerned.
He currently has 16-caps for Israel and played five of his country’s ten Euro 2020 qualifying matches, displacing Ariel Harush as first-choice ‘keeper.
Harush hasn’t played a competitive game since March 8 boosting Marciano’s hopes of playing against his adopted country.
Speaking earlier this month, Marciano said: “We have got used to playing with no supporters. It’s weird, but we are used to it.
“It will probably help us having no fans at Hampden, because we know how good the Scottish fans can be.
“But as soon as you go out and the game starts, you just forget there are no fans.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
