SEVEN months after he signed for the club, former Scotland international Ian Black finally made his Tranent Juniors debut on Saturday.

Black’s career has seen him lift the Scottish Cup and represent his country on the international stage, and on Saturday his footballing journey took another step as he captained his hometown club for the first time.

It was a historic day for the Belters, who also made their debut in the senior ranks, and 33-year-old ex-Hearts, Inverness and Rangers midfielder Black played an integral part.

His debut has been a long time coming – he signed in January but red tape prevented him from playing last season.

That was because he had already played for two other clubs last season – comprised of two outings for Chorley of National League North and one competitive game for Skelmersdale United.

But at the weekend, the man who won his sole Scotland cap against Australia in 2012 – the same year he won the Scottish Cup with Hearts – led Tranent to a comfortable 6-1 win over Hawick Royal Albert in the Qualifying League Cup.

Belters boss Max Christie was delighted to have Black among his squad for the season ahead.

He told Courier Sport: “It was a long awaited debut for Ian.

“He’s been with us since I joined the club and he’s been great about the place the last few months.

“For the level he has played, he’s a very humble guy and all the boys have really taken to him.

“He’s fit and he’s got a lot of football left in him – he’s definitely not in the twilight of his career.”

Black follows in the footsteps of another former Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson, who had a brief spell at the club in the 2016/17 season.

Tranent followers will hope that Black’s association lasts longer than Thomson’s – the ex-Hibs and Rangers man made just two appearances before departing to focus on his academy.