Scotland starlet hungry for caps after under radar European league title-winning breakthrough season

Step forward right-back Max Johnston, fresh from winning the Austrian Bundesliga with Sturm Graz. The 21-year-old has forced his way into the first team under Jürgen Säumel and can look forward to Champions League football once again with Die Schwoazn.

This has been a breakthrough season for Johnston, who moved to Graz from Motherwell two years ago. While he was part of the squad that won the league title in the 2023/24 campaign, he has played a significant role this time around. He has featured against the likes of Borussia Dortmund in European football and won his first Scotland cap back in March, coming on as a sub against Greece.

Johnston has flown under the radar for some Scotland fans, but over in Austria, he is winning rave reviews for his performances as an attack-minded full-back for Sturm Graz. He faces stiff competition to be a starter for Scotland in that area, given that Tony Ralston currently occupies the jersey. Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey are also coming back from long-term injuries. Scotland are well stocked in that department.

Johnston's career trajectory is only upwards right now. His father Allan was also a Scotland internationalist, landing 18 caps and two goals, and has played a key part in his son's development, taking him on loan to Queen of the South and offering plenty of advice.

Back when it is was largely unfashionable for Scottish players to leave the UK, Johnston Snr decided to make the move to French club Rennes for a season in 1996. He played 23 games for the Breton outfit after six years at Hearts, before moving back to Britain with Sunderland. His experiences meant that Johnston Jnr had an easy sounding board when Sturm Graz came calling.

"Obviously my dad had a time in France [with Rennes] as well when he moved on from Hearts and I think he was a wee bit older [22]," said Johnston. "But of course I was lucky enough that I got to ask him for a bit of advice on how he managed to deal with moving abroad and stuff. He's been a really big help and he really pushed me to do it.

"I think he was telling me that sometimes you just need to take a chance. There's always going to be competition no matter what club or where you play your football. There's always going to be competition, but sometimes you just need to be brave enough to take that step and work your way into the team. I think that's what I've done.

"I think I was just more excited that I had the opportunity to go out and try something different. You see how well the other boys over in Italy had done at that time. They had a lot of success, so for me it was a great opportunity.

"It's a reality shock when you know you're going to have dinners made for you and that and you're coming home from training. But no, it's something that I've really enjoyed the whole process of."

Not quite everything. Johnston is bashful when he is asked how his German is coming along. "Don't ask, I don't want to know!" he laughed.

Such has been Johnston's form this season for a title-winning club, he has been loosely linked with a move. The defender has ambition but for now is enjoying the moment in Graz.

"Obviously I really enjoy Austria," he continued. "I think it's been great for me. I'm contracted for another two years over there and I'm really enjoying it. But obviously as a player, there's a level I want to reach, so we'll see what happens.

"The club's been really good to me since I went over. They really helped me out, helped me settle in when I first got over. It's good, we've got a good changing room as well, so the boys are quite close and we spend a lot of time together."

Team bonding has been helped by landing silverware and a partisan fanbase who have revelled in success. "Aye, the fans, it's amazing," he said. “The experience of winning the double last year and winning the league this year, you just see how much it means to the fans and the city's amazing to be fair.

"This year we had a big stage just outside the stadium and we just went and seen the fans for a bit and stuff, but it was amazing. One I'll never forget. I don't know how many fans were there, but it was a lot of people."

Johnston's father faced an arduous journey to be a proud parent on the sidelines in Piraeus three months ago - "I think he got three flights that day to get over just for the game, so I'm very grateful that I've got him on my side and I'm just lucky that he got to see it," said Johnston. He is hoping his dad won't have to travel quite as far for his next one, when Scotland play Iceland at Hampden on Friday.

"It's a huge honour to be involved in the squad again and coming off a good camp, last camp for me personally," added Johnston. "I've got a small taste for it now and it's just made me hungry for more."