Gray is in line to add to his one international cap © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Scott Gray

Teams: Scotland

When Scotland arrived in La Manga last week to begin preparing for this month's autumn internationals, Scott Gray could have been forgiven for pinching himself.

The Northampton flanker was training alongside the cream of Scottish rugby only five months after being a National League One player and more than three years after his one-cap Test career looked to be over. What made Gray's selection for the upcoming matches against New Zealand, South Africa and Canada all the more remarkable was that he was not even considered one of Scotland's 50 best players as recently as September.

That was the size of the training squad head coach Frank Hadden named for a get-together at Murrayfield, which most observers assumed would fight among themselves for a place in the final cut. So when Hadden announced his 31-man party for the autumn internationals almost two weeks ago, Gray's selection took virtually everyone by surprise. But for the player himself, it was simply the culmination of a year-long plan to resurrect his international career.

Zimbabwe-born Gray realised his and his Scottish father's lifelong dream of representing Scotland when he played in the autumn international against Australia four years ago. He was named in subsequent squads but the sacking of head coach Matt Williams in April 2005 saw his hopes of adding to that cap dashed. His career appeared to have stalled altogether when his club Borders folded at the end of the 2006-07 season and he ended up at Doncaster.

But Gray insists his decision to join the National League One side was motivated by his belief it would be a stepping stone to getting himself back in a Scotland jersey. He told PA Sport: "The reason I chose to go to Doncaster was because they were trying to get back in the Premiership and it would also put me in the shop window for other Premiership clubs.

"I felt that would eventually put me back on the radar for Scotland. I asked my agent if Doncaster were a full-time outfit because that was very important to me. And while it was a step down in terms of the level of competition, the club itself I found was very professional."

Gray's plan took no time at all to click into gear, with the flanker impressing in a game against Northampton early in the season. And when the Saints were in the process of cementing their return to the Guinness Premiership, they targeted him as someone who could help keep them there this season. That faith has been rewarded, with the player taking the step up in his stride.

But Gray was not about to sit back and wait for Scotland to come calling: he took matters into his own hands. He said: "Frank Hadden was down here for one of our trial matches to check on Euan Murray and Sean Lamont. I made a point of speaking to him after the game, saying, 'Don't forget about me - I'm still really keen to be involved'."

This pro-active approach has been one of the characteristics of Gray's career. Born in Harare, he left Zimbabwe as an 18-year-old to move to Australia, where he played for a local club in Canberra before being snapped up by the ACT Brumbies academy set-up. He failed to land a Super 14 contract so switched codes, playing as a second row and centre in a feeder team for the Brisbane Broncos.

But the upbringing that had seen him and his Scotland-mad father get up in the early hours of the morning to watch tours to Australia and New Zealand meant that when a chance to move to the UK presented itself, he was unable to resist.

"My dad has Scottish heritage and he always hoped I would play for Scotland," said Gray, who was snapped up by Bath in 2004. "Even when I was leaving to go to Australia, I was trying to find clubs in the UK and I couldn't quite get the opportunity.

"I always wanted to come back to the UK and try to get involved playing for Scotland."

His recent recall was welcome news to Gray and also his family, who have endured a difficult few years as a result of the problems in Zimbabwe. His father's farm was one of those seized under orders from the Robert Mugabe regime and the family were forced to flee the country for Mozambique in order to make a living.

"Like every farmer, they did try to fight the government, but some got beaten up and it got ugly," said Gray, who hopes to return to Zimbabwe some day with his Scottish fiancee and baby daughter. But for the next month, his focus is very much on Scotland and forcing his way into Hadden's matchday plans.

To do that he must outshine John Barclay, who has an iron grip on the openside spot at present.

"Apparently on the tour to Argentina, he did play very well," Gray said. "To get the spot from him, I need to be performing really well. Hopefully, I'll be there or thereabouts."