FA Cup tie will see Scotland defender come against Brazil striker
Aside from keeping a keen eye on his former club, Scotland head coach Steve Clarke will have an extra reason to watch Wrexham v Chelsea in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Clarke spent 11 years at Chelsea as a player before becoming assistant manager under Jose Mourinho, but his focus for the fifth round tie will likely centre more on the Wrexham defence and in particular their 30-year-old club captain.
Dominic Hyam joined the Red Dragons in September on transfer deadline day in a £2.7million deal from Blackburn Rovers, where the centre-back had made 135 appearances across a three-year stint.
Wrexham captain Dominic Hyam is hoping to secure a place in Scotland's World Cup squad. (Photo by Harriet Massey/Getty Images)placeholder image
Wrexham captain Dominic Hyam is hoping to secure a place in Scotland's World Cup squad. (Photo by Harriet Massey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a move that did not go down well with Blackburn supporters, who reacted with overwhelming fury and dismay to the sale of one of their most consistent, reliable and experienced performers.
Rovers' loss has been Wrexham's gain. Hyam has been a standout performer for the Welsh side, quickly earning the captain's armband and playing an instrumental role in their push for a play-off spot as they aim for a remarkable fourth straight promotion under the glamour ownership of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Manager Phil Parkinson has described Hyam as a "colossus" at the back with the defender playing almost every minute in the Championship since making his debut.
Hyam no stranger to Scotland squads
Hyam is already well known to Scotland boss Clarke, who handed him his first and only cap to date as a late second-half substitute in the memorable 2-1 win over Norway in Oslo in June 2023. A two-year absence from the international scene followed before he received a call-up for the opening two World Cup qualifiers away to Denmark and Belarus in September last year. Hyam has not been involved in a squad since but his current form could push him into Clarke's thoughts for the upcoming friendlies against Japan and Ivory Coast at the end of the month, particularly with Grant Hanley currently injured.
Having already played his part in knocking Premier League opposition out of the FA Cup - Hyam scored his first goal for Wrexham in the third round win over Nottingham Forest - Clarke will surely be keen to see how the defender copes against an elite Chelsea forward line featuring in-form Brazilian striker Joao Pedro, who could line up against Scotland at the World Cup this summer.
Speaking last month, Hyam admitted that he has aspirations of making it into the Scotland squad for the tournament in USA, Canada and Mexico.
Dominic Hyam earned his only Scotland cap to date as a late substitute in the 2-1 win over Norwau in Olso on June 17, 2023. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)placeholder image
Dominic Hyam earned his only Scotland cap to date as a late substitute in the 2-1 win over Norwau in Olso on June 17, 2023. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group
"I feel like a lot of it's down to me," Hyam said. "Hopefully I can keep my availability up and my performances at a good level. That's all I can do and hopefully someone sees my performances and I get the nod at some point. Two international breaks ago was my last involvement and it's something I want to do again in the near future."
‘More Scottish than English’
Hyam may speak with an English accent having been brought up in Oxfordshire but he was born in Leuchars while his dad was stationed at the RAF base, and has grandparents who hail from Dundee and Glasgow. "I've got more Scottish than English in me," he once claimed.
He has called Saturday’s visit of the club world champions to the Racecourse Ground as an “amazing distraction” from their promotion charge as Wrexham look to make more history in the competition.
“It could be deemed as a distraction, but what an amazing distraction it is,” Hyam said. “You want to play against the best teams and the best players. It’s what you work hard for, playing against Premier League teams in the FA Cup.
“Hopefully we can be there one day and be a Premier league team playing someone in the FA Cup too.”
Read More
Much like the club itself, Hyam has played throughout the divisions during a career that began in Reading’s academy.
Loan spells with Hemel Hempstead, Basingstoke, and Dagenham & Redbridge gave him a taste of the lower divisions before his time with Coventry included two promotions to go from League Two to the Championship.
It is a journey which gives Hyam an extra appreciation for opportunities like Saturday.
“I think it’s really important to remember what your past self has done, and what Dom of 10 years ago might be thinking of how Dom is now,” he said.
“Every opportunity I get, I put 100 per cent into every game that I have and I think it’s really good to appreciate your journey.
“Not every season and every game is plain sailing, you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to learn along the way, but it’s the belief and the drive that you have internally that I think just keeps you going.”