A MAN ON OMISSION

Euros absence has Hickey fired up for World Cup

- By Blair Esson

AARON HICKEY was torn over turning down an invitation to join Scotland’s Euros squad last summer at their Alpine base in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

But he simply couldn’t face being so close to a major finals and yet being so far away from actually participating in it.

So he stayed at home instead with his shredded hamstring watching the Euros from his couch, wondering if he might ever get the chance to pull on a Scotland shirt again.

Hickey had initially hoped to be passed fit by Brentford’s medical team in time to make the flight which carried his teammates into Bavaria.

But that dream was snatched away when the injury recurred towards the end of his rehab and he went under the knife again.

In all he was out of the game for almost two years.

And watching his dreams continue without him actually being there was possibly the lowest point of all.

Hickey said: “Yeah, it was difficult. I could have gone with the squad to Germany — and I was dying to go — but in the back of my head I was thinking it would be really hard to go and not play or be involved.