 Herd was one of three members of his family to gain recognition for their footballing skills at national level.He played for Scotland in one of the (unofficial) "wartime international" matches, a 5–4 win against England in April 1942.His elder brother Sandy, a left-half with Heart of Midlothian, played for Scotland in the 1930s and his son David, the Arsenal striker, represented Scotland five times between 1959 and 1961.