Callum Duke retires from international hockey

Callum Duke has called time on his international career with 102 caps and four goals for Scotland. Duke also represented Scotland at two Commonwealth Games and a number of FIH and EuroHockey competitions, in a tremendous Scotland career.

Duke, who got the last of his 102 caps in an 8-0 victory over Switzerland at a EuroHockey Championship Qualifier in 2022, feels now is the right time to step away from the international set up.

Duke said, “There are several motives behind my decision. For the squad, I feel it’s a good time to step away as the team has a great opportunity to rebuild and form a new identity. It’s a very exciting time for them and there are so many amazing emerging players. But also for myself the time is right as my wife and I are expecting a baby in July, which of course will be my priority this summer. I wouldn’t be available for selection for the Euros this summer because of that, and I think I am going to have my hands full anyway! It feels exactly the right time to call it a day.”

Impressing domestically, and playing a season in Germany, Callum had been knocking on the door for a while before his first appearance for Scotland, which then came in a 2-2 draw against Spain in Barcelona. It didn’t take him long to make the squad for World League 1 in 2013, Duke recalled, “My debut was a brilliant experience. Spain were a top team in the world at that time, having medalled at the Olympics not long before hand, so playing in that series of games was such a step up in terms of everything I had ever experienced playing hockey before. I came off the pitch wondering what had happened.

“My first major tournament was then at World League 1 in 2013 in Paris. I’d say it wasn’t until then that I started to really feel part of the squad. I scored my first international goal at the tournament, against Belgium, which was a half-volley into the roof of the net, assisted by Ian Moodie.”

“It was at that tournament that I began to properly feel part of the team. Playing for Scotland in test matches is of course amazing, but playing at a tournament really makes you feel like you’re part of the squad, and that you’ve been selected to represent Scotland to compete on those stages.”

When Duke first came into the set-up there was already a lot of competition for places with a number of key internationals being a part of the squad. “The likes of Graham Moodie; Chris Nelson, Gareth Hall and Niall Stott were all well-established senior players in the squad that you could look up to, and then there were the likes of Alan Forsyth, Chris Grassick, Gordon McIntyre, Kenny Bain, Nick Parkes and Michael Bremner, that were of similar age to me but had been established players for a few years”. Even Duke realised he had some big shoes to fill when he emerged into the team, “Stephen Dick had just retired, and I was fortunate enough to take over his number – number three. No pressure!”

One of the most successful periods of Duke’s international career came between 2016 and 2018, as Scotland progressed to the World League Semi Finals in London, where they battled against some of the top nations in hockey. That spell of his career started in Glasgow at World League 1 where Duke received his 50th cap.

Duke said, “That journey was very special for the squad and full of so many highlights. We had a really strong period of squad cohesion, and a feeling of togetherness, we all went on that journey together. It involved a long process of goal-setting, establishing core values for the squad, and working on ourselves to achieve the best we possibly could together. We worked extremely hard as a squad over that period, players and staff, and were very close as a group. It’s something that I look back on with great pride, and an experience I’ll never take for granted”.

A huge honour for Duke came in 2018 when he captained Scotland at the Hockey Series Open in Lousada, Portugal. The Scots finished second by one point in the round robin tournament that included Russia; Belarus; Gibraltar; Portugal; and Turkey.

He missed the 2017 EuroHockey Championship II where Scotland won promotion to the top tier of European Hockey, but while missing out on the Euros, he worked hard to be selected for the squad that travelled to the Gold Coast for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Duke reminisced, “It’s hard to describe the Gold Coast experience. It’s unforgettable. The feeling in the first game against South Africa is unlike anything I ever experienced, it’s the best game I have ever played in without a doubt – every touch and everything we attempted just seemed to come off – or at least that’s how I remember it!.

“I was so ready for that game, and it was a real buzz running out into the stadium. It was also great because we’d won that as one of our target games and ended up finishing third in the group behind Australia and New Zealand. We did really well and ultimately achieved our highest ever finish in a Commonwealth Games.”

Duke then earned his place in the Scotland team that competed in the 2019 EuroHockey Championship. The tournament may not have gone to plan, with Scotland being relegated, but after so many years of trying to qualify it was an important moment for the Blue Sticks to take their place at the top table of European hockey.

Duke spoke of the excitement and pivotal point of competing at the tournament, “Finally getting to A Division was amazing. It was a whole new level of competition for us, and a level we really do have the capability to be playing at. World class hockey. It’s a tournament where you know very quickly that you’re in with the big boys.

“It didn’t go how we wanted in the end, and you can take it back to the Ireland game. We drew 3-3 with Ireland. It was a tough game, and we were 3-2 up with minutes to go. If we’d won that game we’d have stayed up, the late equaliser was a gutter. We beat Wales 4-2, which shows we could have stayed up if we’d held on against Ireland.”

While Covid was a hard period for many, Callum first saw this as the time consider his international future, “Covid was actually interesting timing for me. I’d been thinking of stepping away from the programme at that time, and focus on other things in my life, but then Covid happened which provided a natural break from hockey. It allowed me to focus on my professional exams to become a Chartered Engineer and generally just have time away from the game. By the time hockey then started up again, I’d achieved what I was looking for in time away from hockey, and my body and mind felt fit to fight for a place at Birmingham in 2022.”

Amidst the growing competition for places as the next Commonwealth Games approached, Duke was selected and made sure to enjoy the opportunity as much as possible. Scotland found themselves in a competitive group that contained New Zealand; South Africa; Australia; and Pakistan, and eventually placed 9th after a convincing 7-2 victory over Ghana, with Duke scoring his last international goal in that game.

He added, “Birmingham was a totally different experience for me than that Gold Coast. I felt more relaxed for Birmingham than I was for Gold Coast. That’s not to say it was any less spectacular, I’d just say I was less excitable and far more appreciative of the experience and the honour of being there. I knew that there wouldn’t be many moments for me like this, so I just tried my best to soak it all in.

“I actually got married the week before Birmingham too. I got married on the Saturday, and left for Birmingham on the Tuesday, which was quite interesting timing. Apparently, a month in Birmingham also doesn’t qualify as a honeymoon, so I definitely owe Charlotte big time!”

As someone who had a long international career Callum has had a lot of people support him and contribute and help in his success, Duke said, “I’d like to thank my family. My mum and dad got me into hockey and have been so supportive down the years. My dad was my first hockey coach and taught me the basics, but also to ultimately enjoy playing hockey which is so important when you first start!

“Thanks to my wife, Charlotte, who has supported me in every way she could over the years to allow me to train and be the best I can be. Charlotte has been unbelievably patient and has sacrificed so much of her time for me to play hockey.

“There are also then so many coaches to thank from over the years, starting to all those at Hillhead where I played my junior hockey growing up and then later on at club level. Then there are my u18 Scotland coaches, Callum Wood and Mike Leonard. Not only did they help me get to where I needed to be to progress to senior hockey, but they also gave me confidence as a player at that age to push on to the next level.

“Graham Moodie was my coach at Edinburgh University and later coached me with Scotland, and he taught an incredible amount over the years and was a great role model for me. Then Derek Forsyth, who coached me my whole Scotland career, from the U21s to seniors. I think his coaching style and attitude was what I needed as a player. He taught me a lot and put in a lot of effort with me, he definitely got the best out of me as a player.

“Thanks also to Dave Reid, who was also a key part of the senior squad staff and generally just a really good guy. He was always brilliant to talk to on a trip as I think he understood me as a player, and always gave me good advice.

“There are more than a handful of physios who helped me, actually there are too many to name, but thank you to all the great physios for their support.

“I then just want to thank all the players I played with down the years. I grew up with so many of them and are lucky to be great friends with them now. They have all motivated me to train hard and be the best player that I possibly could, which is all I really ever tried to be as a player.”

Congratulations to Callum Duke from all at Scottish Hockey on a tremendous international career.

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