FORMER Hull City defender Scott Wiseman will be part of history tonight as he makes helps Gibraltar begin life as a fully-fledged European football nation.
After being accepted as UEFA's 54th member in May of this year, minnows Gibraltar face Slovakia tonight in their first full international friendly.
Debuting for his adopted nation will be ex-Tiger Wiseman. Qualifying through his Gibraltar-born mother, the former Malet Lambert pupil and one-time England under-20s international is in line to win his first Gibraltar cap against a Slovakia side ranked 65th in the world in Faro this evening.
Wiseman, who currently plies his trade with Championship side Barnsley, was reared up through City's youth ranks and made 19 appearances for his hometown club before leaving in 2008.
A new international chapter now beckons in Wiseman's career ahead of what could see him face some of the biggest names in world football in qualifying for Euro 2016 begins in September.
Also included in manager Allen Bula's squad is former Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham, who now turns out for non-league Chester FC, but the majority of Wiseman's new team-mates are amateurs turning out in the Gibraltar Premier Division.
The British Overseas Territory attached to Spain has a population of just 30,000 – roughly the same size as Beverley – and boasts a pool of only 600 footballers.
At 2.6 square miles in size, its main 5,000 capacity stadium falls short of FIFA requirements and means tonight's fixture takes place in Faro, 150 miles away at the Estadio Algarve.
Gibraltar has become the smallest nation in the UEFA family, eclipsing even San Marino. Bookmakers have installed them as 20/1 outsiders to start life in international football with a victory over Slovakia tonight.
