JUBILANT Livingston manager Gary Holt has urged Steve Clarke to draft his striker Lyndon Dykes into the Scotland squad after his goal helped sink Celtic yesterday.

The forward was outstanding on the day, giving Christopher Jullien and Kristoffer Ajer a torrid time and chipping Fraser Forster for Livi’s all-important second goal.

Holt was delighted with Dykes’s contribution, and he is convinced he could make the step up to the international stage. And now he knows of his eligibility for Scotland, he will be bending the forward’s ear to make sure he shuns Australia for the dark blue.

“I was championing his case for Australia until this morning when I realised he was eligible for Scotland,” Holt said.

“I haven’t a clue [who he wants to play for]. I haven’t asked him. He’s a big rugby league man. He just wants his chance and I’ve told him if you keep working hard and keep your head down you’ll get your opportunity.

“He’s Australian! He talks Australian. I thought they would come knocking but then I heard today he has Scottish parentage so I’ll be knocking the Australian bit on the head for a wee while. I will certainly be championing [Scotland] now that I know.

“It’s refreshing to see a kid that’s come up the hard way, a bit like myself. You don’t always get the smooth transition all the way through. He’s come over, worked hard, done well at Queen of the South and now he has progressed to this stage. Can he go beyond that?

“I think he can step up, not a problem. He’s shown the qualities he’s got. It’s probably refreshing that he doesn’t care who he’s playing against. It could be in the park with his pals or out there live on TV it doesn’t matter, he puts a shift in.

“He wants to score goals and make it uncomfortable for defenders so they know they have been in a game.”

Dykes’s strike and an earlier goal from Scott Robinson gave Livingston their first ever win over Celtic in their history, and Holt says it was no more than they deserved for a performance full of endeavour.

“These things are there to be broken,” he said.

“We did it last year with the points we got and the clean sheets and the goals we scored. It’s another tick in the box. I’m over the moon to be honest.

“We were right at it, I thought it was a really good game and then we got a bit disjointed because we had the extra man but there were gaps.

“We spoke to them at half-time about being patient and working the areas that we can, could we go around them. Playing against ten men it’s always hard to go through.

“I thought the first goal was great. A great bit of skill. Great movement, great pass, great finish. I think the game deserved that.”