Fraser Heigh is only one of two Scots selected by Great Britain for the Sultan of Johur Cup in Malaysia next week. The Grange striker is joined by Dundonian Jamie Golden and a Welsh player for the trip. The rest of the 18-strong squad are English.
Heigh travels in confident mood having scored a trademark goal with a rocket reverse stick shot from wide out on the left of the D in Grange’s 5-1 victory over reigning Premiership champions, Western Wildcats, at Meggetland in Edinburgh on Saturday.
The victory saw Grange replace Western at the top of the table but the stand-out now misses club games against Dunfermline Carnegie and Clydesdale who have enjoyed an encouraging start to the season and are now in the top three.
The former George Watson’s College pupil relishes the prospect of playing alongside the cream of British hockey talent aged under-21.
And the consultant with world-wide, multi-disciplinary company, Mott MacDonald, one of the largest employee-owned companies in the UK, is excited to face top nations in a tournament in which Great Britain are the defending champions having beaten India 2-1 in the final in 2019.
They have also topped the podium inn 2018 and 2015 and are the most successful nation in the invitation event. They were runners-up in 2014 and 2017.
Australia and India have won twice and Germany plus Malaysia one each and Heigh (pictured by Nigel Duncan putting pressure on the Uddingston goalkeeper) said: “This is my first GB call-up and I’m really excited to be included in such a talented squad and to potentially play against some of the best countries in the world in this age-group.
“I’m 21 now and this is my first and last chance of playing in this tournament. I have no pre-conceptions about what it will be like.
“I’ve played in the A Division in Europe but and I’ve not played in the humidity we are likely to experience there.
“We arrive five days before the tournament starts so that should give us time to acclimatise and the support staff have experienced these conditions before.”
Heigh knows most of the English players on the trip having trained with the squad before and he said: “Yes, there is the normal England v Scotland banter but the Great Britain staff have worked hard to ensure that it is just banter and not rivalry.”
The strong-running player was pleased to have played his part in Grange’s stunning win over Western last weekend and said: “It is early in the season, but it was good to put down a marker after being runners-up to them last season.
“This was a really good performance from the team, particularly as we were missing Gordon Amore, a Scottish international midfielder, through sickness.
“Rory McCann came in and did a great job, scoring two goals, and we were clinical when the chances came. They (Western) stepped-up in the second and third quarters, but we felt in control.”
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