James McPake has praised Dundee United loanee Chris Mochrie after he was called up to the Scotland under-21 squad.
The Pars boss brought the midfielder to the club ahead of the trip to FC Edinburgh – a match in which he came off the bench to score on his debut.
After a few more appearances he has since forced his way into the starting line-up and played a key role in the most recent victory over Queen of the South.
Mochrie has worked his way up through the Scotland age levels and has been rewarded for his early season form with a call-up to Scot Gemmill’s squad.
“Chris has been fantastic since he came in,” said McPake.
“I spoke to Liam Fox as soon as I got this job and Chris was one he said to take.”
The Pars manager was aware of the talented midfielder from his eight years at Dundee.
“Chris was playing for Dundee United at the time,” added McPake.
‘He’s an important player for us’
Mochrie will be in the squad to face Northern Ireland on September 22. It means he will miss the Pars’ match versus Celtic B in the SPFL Trust Trophy.
The loanee already played in earlier in the competition for the United under-20s.
McPake sees the value in going away as part of a national set-up and was happy to see a young Dundee star get the nod as well.
#SCO21s | Scot Gemmill has named his Scotland squad for our upcoming friendly double header against Northern Ireland 🏴
➡️ Read more: https://t.co/QtGlv8At2J#YoungTeam
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 8, 2022
“We’re delighted for Chris, it’s good for him to go away. I’m delighted for him and I hope he does well.
“He’s an important player for us and he’s been excellent since he came in from Dundee United. It’s all down to him.”
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