In his early career, Mudie was considered an inside forward, however, when Mortensen was transferred to Hull City in August 1955, Mudie became Blackpool's regular centre-forward, despite his diminutive stature.[1] This change of position, combined his scoring 22 and 38 goals in consecutive seasons, enabled him to achieve international recognition and he made his international debut against Wales in 1956. His hat-trick in a 4–2 win against Spain in 1957 helped Scotland qualify for the following year's World Cup and he was subsequently selected in the squad that travelled to Sweden.[3] Scotland exited after the group stage, effectively ending Mudie's international career with 17 caps and nine goals to his name.