Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham cardiac physiologist Bex Condie is leaving the British winter behind this week to fly the flag for her country on the international hockey stage.

Bex has been selected for the Scottish squad, which is jetting out to Valencia in Spain for a World Hockey League Two tournament between February 4 and 12 - the next step in the nation’s bid to qualify for the Hockey World Cup.

The Scots face Ghana, Poland and Ukraine in group matches hoping to qualify for the knock out stages, starting with the quarter-finals.

Bex, who plays her club hockey for University of Birmingham in the Investec Women’s Premier League, said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been selected for my first major tournament with Scotland.

“I’ve had my ups and downs with hockey in recent years and I promised myself that I would train hard, dream bigger and make sure I was on the plane to Valencia.

“The World League offers a great opportunity to play against non-European nations and be exposed to a different style of hockey, something I’m really looking forward to.

“Having been training full time in Gran Canaria and Valencia over the Christmas period, the team has showed real development in our play, and I’m excited to see how the tournament progresses.

“I must also say a massive thank you to operational manager Lisa Ball and the Cardiology Department for supporting me through my training."