Bath Rugby fly-half Tom Heathcote has been named in a 35-strong Scotland training squad ahead of the RBS 6 Nations.
The 20-year-old, who had previously played age-group rugby for England and featured for the Red Rose in last summer's Junior World Championships in South Africa, was a surprise inclusion in the Scotland squad for their ill-fated final autumn Test against Tonga.
Heathcote came off the bench to make his debut in that match on November 24, but could not turn the tide as the Tongans won 21-15 on Scottish soil. That dispiriting result cost the man who had picked Heathcote, Andy Robinson, his job as Scotland coach.
With Six Nations fever now starting to spread, it is interim Scotland boss Scott Johnson who will decide what role Heathcote will play in the forthcoming championship.
Ten uncapped players have been named in Johnson's first squad. The party will convene in Glasgow on Sunday for a three-day training camp.
Johnson said: "We've chosen this squad with two parameters uppermost in our minds - current form and looking to the future.
"Where two players have been vying for the one spot in areas such as the back-row, we've gone with the form option.
"I've been impressed with a number of the young fellows who've helped Glasgow to second place in the Rabo, especially by their work ethic and determination to improve.
"This squad is for our training camp in Glasgow next week and we still have the option to add to it for the Six Nations."
SCOTLAND TRAINING SQUAD
Backs: Peter Murchie, Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Tommy Seymour, Sean Lamont (all Glasgow Warriors), Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby), Max Evans (Castres), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Alex Dunbar, Peter Horne, Duncan Weir, Ruaridh Jackson (all Glasgow Warriors), Tom Heathcote (Bath Rugby), Henry Pyrgos, Sean Kennedy (both Glasgow Warriors) and Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby).
Forwards: Alasdair Dickinson (Sale Sharks), Ryan Grant, Dougie Hall, Pat MacArthur (all Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby), Moray Low, Alastair Kellock (both Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Sale Sharks), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Robert Harley, Ryan Wilson (both Glasgow Warriors), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier), David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby), Richie Vernon (Sale Sharks), Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors).
Invited to be with the squad as they recover from injury: Chris Cusiter, John Barclay and Jon Welsh (all Glasgow Warriors) Nick De Luca and Ross Rennie (both Edinburgh Rugby) and Scott Lawson (London Irish).
