Jason Cummings is set to end a remarkable year with Australia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The striker has been selected as part of Socceroos’ 26-man squad, with games against France, Denmark and Tunisia in Group D.
A Scots-born player called up for the Socceroos isn’t necessarily an interesting story in itself. Indeed, there are THREE players in Graham Arnold’s squad who were born and raised on these shores.
7⃣ @spfl-based players
3⃣ Scottish-born playersWelcome aboard the 🇦🇺 @FIFAWorldCup bandwagon, Scotland 👋🤣@MartinBoyle9 #GiveIt100 https://t.co/wHEaEcfcKE pic.twitter.com/okr890pBau
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) November 8, 2022
But Cummings’ 2022 is an extraordinary rags-to-riches tale which began with the Dundee youth team just 10 months ago.
Courier Sport takes a look back at the last year, leading up to the 27-year-old’s World Cup call-up.
December 2021
Cummings’ departure from Dundee was in January, but you have to go back to the previous month for the incident that sparked it.
On Thursday, December 16, the then-Dundee striker appeared as a guest at the Open Goal Christmas Party at a packed Hydro in Glasgow.
F*%%#^ amazing show from the boys at opengoal!
Great vt’s, special guests, stories and a questionable haircut 😂
Thanks for a great night!@opengoalsport @siferry8 @KevinKyle1981 👏👏💪⚽️ pic.twitter.com/a5z0MOuZeC
— David Hamilton (@davidhamilton85) December 17, 2021
Cummings, who has a Joker tattoo on his hand, which he uses as his trademark goal celebration, was on stage dressed as the Batman villain.
Attendees commented on his appearance, including suggestions that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
The event took place two days before a crucial match at home to Hearts, with Dundee already on a three-game losing run.
The next morning, Courier Sport reported that Cummings had been sent home from training.
Then-Dee manager James McPake described the striker as “unfit to train” and branded his conduct “unacceptable”.
Cummings was then dropped from the matchday squad for the Jambos clash.
With the Dee already short on numbers, McPake played with a keeper and only four outfield players on the bench – just one was a senior member of the team.
The former Dark Blues boss stood by his decision to keep Cummings out of the team.
It would quickly turn out that the game prior to the Open Goal event, a 1-0 defeat to Hibs, would be Cummings last for the club.
As Dundee prepared for a Boxing Day trip to Aberdeen with a threadbare squad, Courier Sport broke the news that Cummings had been sent to play with the Dark Blues youth team.
On December 29, we first reported on a potential move away from Dens, with Central Coast Mariners expressing interest.
January – leaving Dundee
Cummings started the year off still playing with the Dundee development squad but it looked certain he would leave the club.
The question would be where next, with Irish side Linfield expressing an interest on January 10.
But two weeks later, he sealed his move Down Under to the A-League.
🏴 ➡️ 🇦🇺
𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫🟡🔵 #CCMFC #WontBackDown pic.twitter.com/2hr3ifsx8L
— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) January 24, 2022
Having played an instrumental role in Dundee’s play-off promotion push the previous season, he left Dens Park under a cloud.
Nevertheless, he also left as the club’s top scorer with six goals. Only Danny Mullen would top that come the end of a dismal season with seven.
Qualifying for Australian citizenship through his mother,Cummings packed his bags and headed for New South Wales.
On social media, the player thanked the Dundee fans and his teammates for the “good times” – but there was no mention of McPake.
New boss Nick Montgomery said at the time the club did their “due diligence” over the player but, ultimately, felt Cummings deserved “a fresh start”.
It didn’t take long for Cummings to make his mark in Australia.
Talk about finding your mark 🎯
Cummings off both posts on debut 📐
🎥 @10FootballAU #CCMFC #WontBackDown #SYDvCCM pic.twitter.com/8Px3j6gcvs
— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) January 30, 2022
He scored the Mariners’ second in a 3-2 defeat to Sydney FC on his debut.
The striker put his side 2-1 up at the time and he was replaced shortly after. But it was a debut to remember as he turned a few heads.
Acing the A-League
Cummings continued to impress Down Under and eventually ended the season as the Mariners’ top scorer with 10 goals.
His performances also earned him a place in the A-League All Stars team, which faced Barcelona in May.
It was in that month that the question of an Australia call-up was first floated.
Despite having two caps for Scotland, Cummings was eligible for the Socceroos having not featured in a competitive game for his country of birth.
Mariners boss Montgomery described the idea as a “no-brainer” and, by the end of the month, Graham Arnold confirmed he’d held talks with the striker.
His form at club level earned him a new deal until 2024, after initially penning a short-term contract.
Cummings gave a personal thanks to the club saying “my life has completely changed”.
First cap and World Cup selection
In a strange twist of fate in July, his Central Coast Mariners team-mate Mark Birighitti left the club to join Dundee United.
The keeper said Cummings gave him valuable advice over the move – and revealed the striker had expressed a desire to return to Scotland one day.
September was the month where his Socceroos dream was realised as Cummings was selected as part of a squad to play in a double-header against New Zealand.
He came on as a substitute after 63 minutes and it wasn’t long before he opened his international account for the Aussies, netting a penalty on 80 minutes.
Cummings started the 2022/23 season off strongly with two goals in his opening games.
The in-form marksman left Arnold with little choice but to include him in the squad for the biggest competition in football.
And the news was confirmed in the early hours of November 8.
Cummings celebrated in a video posted on social media dancing on his sun-soaked balcony.
In the caption he wrote: “I came to Australia and fell back in love with football. A lot of people wrote me off but I never stopped believing in myself. You can’t keep a good dog down.”
It has been an unbelievable 2022 for Jason Cummings – but there could be a lot more of this incredible story to come.
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