Goal scoring masterclass helps Cummings hit the target

Of course, the list of Riordan’s well-documented off-field activities and misdemeanours down the years could stretch the length of Leith Walk. He’s been banned from more Auld Reekie howffs than he’s scored goals over the past few seasons as a career that promised so much continues to peter out.

From a purely footballing perspective, though, there was no denying Riordan’s talents and it was this natural flair for finding the net that Cummings, some 12 years Riordan’s junior, continues to hold in high esteem.

Rather like Riordan, Cummings is another fair-haired young man from Edinburgh who is rattling in goals left, right and centre for Hibernian. He’s scored 13 this season and has hit the back of the net in each of the Capital club’s last seven matches as Alan Stubbs’s upwardly mobile side crank up the pressure on Rangers at the top of the Scottish Championship.

This week, Cummings will be hoping to continue that prolific form for his country when Scotland’s under-21s contest the next instalment of their European Championship qualifying campaign against the Ukraine in Paisley.

So what has been the catalyst for this barnstorming burst of goal scoring for Cummings? “Derek is in with us training at the moment and I think that’s probably why I’ve been in this good spell,” he said. “Since he’s been in, I’ve scored in every game so I’ve learned a lot from him.

“I’ve just been watching him in training and he’s been different class in telling me a lot of things in terms of working on my game and finishing.

"The other night I typed his name into YouTube and watched. Some of his goals were just unbelievable back in the day. He is the same now and he still sticks the ball in the top corner at finishing drills. It is a joy to watch Derek and learn from him.”

Cummings is now hoping that the confidence that has been building within him at club level can reap bountiful rewards on the international scene as Scotland look to stay in the qualifying hunt.

The young Scots have won one, drawn one and lost one of their first three matches and a victory over the Ukraine, who have lost all three matches and sit at the bottom of the group table, is crucial to their ambitions.

“With the way I’m feeling now I’m going into every game knowing I’m going to score,” added Cummings ahead of Friday night’s encounter. “In the league with Hibs, we’ve been flying and we’ve not lost in 13 games. I picked up the Player of the Month award too so it’s a good time. Friday is a massive game for us. I’ve not scored for the under-21s yet. I’ve scored in my last seven games for Hibs and I now want to do it for Scotland.”

The under-21s have been galvanised by the appearance of national team manager, Gordon Strachan, in the build up to this week’s showdown as he casts an eye on the new talent coming through the ranks. Given the appearance of the kind of miserable, furious downpours that would have had Noah sighing with despair, you could have forgiven Strachan for sticking his golf clubs in the oversized luggage and heading to the sun at this ghastly time of the year.

“It shows how dedicated he is that he’s willing to take a week out and spend it with us and for him to be involved has added a bit of an edge to it,” said Barrie McKay, the Rangers winger. “He could have been lying on a beach but he’s stayed in the rain with us and that shows you how seriously he takes his job.

“He was at training in the morning – just watching, really – but everyone upped their game, in the same way that you do when a new manager comes to your club. You do that wee bit extra.

“We’re all good players and we all wanted to show him that we’re capable of making that step up.

“You can see that route is there. Andrew Robertson has come back down to join us this week but he’s already played several games for the full team and that proves to us that we can make that jump.”