'He's not finished, he's only 28' - Fan reveals truth behind iconic talkSPORT call

And the Scottish football fan behind that hilarious moment all those years ago has revealed the truth behind one of the most replayed clips in our archives.

If there's one classic clip that still gets everyone at talkSPORT laughing, it's this one.

To set the scene, a Hearts fan called in to voice his shock that Finland's Antti Niemi hadn't yet been called up for the Scotland national team.

You've likely already spotted the problem with that one, but it took this caller a while, too long really, to cotton on.

With the keeper displaying fine form in goal for the Edinburgh club, the caller was outraged - incredulous, in fact - that Scotland boss Craig Brown was overlooking him when naming his squad.

After all, other Hearts players were regularly in the team - why not Niemi?

Former Scotland and Man United defender Arthur Albiston was the man who had to break it to him, that Niemi was certainly not Scottish.

The rest, they say, is history, with this clip since becoming one of the most iconic moments in over 20 years of talkSPORT - replayed over 20million times on Twitter!

Poor fella.

Caller: I was wondering about the goalkeeper selection for the Scotland squad, and he must know Hearts have got a good team, we get Colin Cameron in the squad and Steven Pressley but I just don't know why, for at least three seasons, he's been ignoring Antti Niemi.

Albiston: Antti Niemi?

Caller: Aye! I dunnae know why he doesn't get a game?

Albiston: …for Scotland?

Caller: Aye!

Albiston: …he's from Finland.

Caller: He's what?!

Albiston: He's Finnish.

Caller: He's not finished, he only 28!

Albiston: …no, not finished, he's from Finland.

Caller: What do you mean?

Albiston: His nationality is Finnish.

Caller: He's not Scottish?

Albiston: No!

Caller: Ohhh, I thought he was Scottish!

Well, it turns out we've been had - this whole time!

Prepare to have your dreams killed, loyal talkSPORT listeners, as it appears the unfortunate caller was actually having us on, as he explained to Ally McCoist on the talkSPORT Breakfast show after we tracked him down!

"I hate to burst everyone's bubble, Ally, but it was most definitely a wind-up," he said - much to our disappointment. "But he [Albiston] never got it!

"It was a couple of guys I worked with, we used to listen to talkSPORT after [Hearts matches] and it was bordering on easy to pick on them!

"The two co-conspirators were my mate, and a guy Mick McArdle - Mick is still very much involved in football with Ayr United and St Mirren.

"It's about time they got a bit of credit for this, but aye, unfortunately it was most definitely a wind-up, I've got to say.

"My phone has been going crazy from all my friends telling me to phone in this morning!"

To be fair to Keith, and in answer to anybody doubting his identity, he then recreated the moment live on air - and it sounded exactly the same!

But, to preserve what is undoubtedly one of the highlights of talkSPORT's 23 year history, we're going to pretend this conversation never happened.

Listen to the iconic talkSPORT moment in all its glory above!