McGowan set one up and scored anoother in Hearts' 5-1 rout of city rivals Hibs in the Scottish Cup final at the weekend.

But in between the cup presentation and his return to the dressing, he somehow managed to lose his precious medal.

“I actually lost my medal on the pitch. I couldn’t find it," McGowan told Scotland's Daily Record. “I came into the dressing room, looked down and thought, ‘Where’s my medal?’

“The little clasp had fallen off. I think a steward found it, which was good going with all that confetti on the pitch.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with it, to be honest. I’ll probably take it home, my mum will be dying to see it.”

McGowan's family secretly flew in from Australia to surprise him and cheer him on to victory.

And he also took the chance to insist his heart and ambition still lay with the Socceroos, and he was not contemplating a switch of allegiance to play for Scotland.

“I’ve played all my international football for Australia and want to play for the Socceroos," he said. "I suppose now I’ve scored at Hampden, maybe I’ll get another in a World Cup qualifier!

“My dad was born in Scotland and has come back a few times but this was the first time he had seen me play for the first team.

“Every other time he has come over, I’ve been playing for the under-19s or been out on loan.

“So it’s his first time seeing me play for Hearts, first time seeing me in a cup final and the first time he has seen me score a goal.

“I got to see him at the end of the game and it was a special moment for my whole family. I made a big commitment coming over here at a young age. I wouldn’t have done that without their support.”

He added: “You can’t put the emotion into words. It’s everything I’d been working for since I was a youngster. The whole occasion, the whole build-up. It was a massive relief.

“I get a lot of stick for my celebrations but being a defender, I don’t score too often. When I do, I guess I go a bit crazy!”