Wrexham captain Dom Hyam has admitted his disappointment at missing out on Sebastien Pocognoli's first Scotland squad, but insists he remains determined to force his way back into international contention.
Belgian Pocognoli, 39, took charge of Scotland in August after Steve Clarke stepped down following the 2026 World Cup. Hyam had been part of Clarke's squad for that tournament, though he did not feature on the pitch, remaining an unused substitute throughout the group stage matches against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
The centre-back, who has earned four senior caps, was not included in Pocognoli's 28-man group named for the upcoming Nations League fixtures, which feature a double header against Slovenia as well as games with Switzerland and North Macedonia.
"It is a little bit tough. There's a bit of change in the set-up with the new manager," Hyam said. "But my immediate reaction was disappointment, I can't lie. Hopefully there'll be more opportunities to come in the future."
Hyam added that his focus remains on his club performances as the route back into the national team. "Like I've said all along, it's all about how I perform on the pitch for my club and hopefully I can get in in the future," he said.
The defender also revealed he has yet to have any direct dialogue with Pocognoli since the former Belgium international was appointed just over a month ago. "Not with the new manager personally, no," Hyam said when asked about contact with the new boss. "But I'm still open and I've just got to focus on myself."
Hyam has been a mainstay for Wrexham this season, appearing in all eight of the club's matches across competitions. As a senior figure within the squad's leadership group, he has also been central to the club's response following a heavy defeat.
Wrexham suffered a 6-0 loss to West Ham United, the heaviest defeat of manager Phil Parkinson's tenure since he took over in the summer of 2021, and the club's worst league result since an identical scoreline against Bournemouth 22 years ago.
Hyam confirmed that Parkinson held discussions with him and midfielder Matty James in the wake of that result as the club looked to regroup before facing Southampton at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday.
"He (Parkinson) spoke to myself and Matty James after the game," Hyam explained. "He just wanted our opinions on how we move forward from the last game and into the next one. I felt it was very important that we addressed it, but we've quickly drawn a line underneath it."
The Wrexham captain added that the squad had reflected on their shortcomings before turning their attention fully to the next challenge. "We spoke about what we didn't do so well, and then all the focus was clearly next on Southampton," he said. "I'm sure there'll be another few times in my career where there'll be a terrible scoreline, but that's just the way football goes. It's just about how we react."
Wrexham currently sit 19th in the Championship table with seven points from their opening matches, while Southampton, despite starting the season with a four-point deduction linked to the Spygate scandal, are ninth with 10 points heading into Saturday's meeting.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.