Dom Hyam Scotland call two years in the making as Blackburn defender proves Mr Reliable

Liam Kelly reckons Dominic Hyam’s Scotland call-up is two years overdue. But the Coventry City skipper insists the big centre back will waste no time impressing the Tartan Army if he’s given the nod for a debut against Cyprus or Spain in the coming days.

Hyam was a rock for the Sky Blues as they surged from League Two into the Championship and threatened to make it a third promotion into the Premier League for a while last year. The 27-year-old’s form won him a £2.5m move to Blackburn last summer and he’s gone straight into Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Rovers backline making 33 appearances so far and many with the captain’s armband.

None of it surprises Kelly - whose solitary Scotland cap came in a 2012 friendly victory over Luxembourg. Hyam won his first call up from Steve Clarke this week after Jack Hendry pulled out of the Hampden double header through injury. And his old Coventry team mate is confident the Leuchars-born stopper will now be there for keeps.

He told Record Sport: “Dom’s call up is 100 per cent deserved. I thought he was deserving of it a season or two ago.

“You just have to look at how well he has performed in the Championship, playing in a Coventry side that spent the majority of last year in the top six, and now for Blackburn who paid however many million for him and made him captain. That shows how highly they think of him.

“Dom is one of the most consistent, reliable players I have played with. He is very strong physically but as a character as well. He can use the ball really well too and that’s massive in a good footballing side like Blackburn.

“He’s right footed but played on the left quite a bit for Coventry. He’s comfortable doing that. And he’s very good in the air - a real danger from set pieces.