In an era when self-interest regularly prompts sportsmen to sell their services to the highest bidder, Fifer Andrew Lemoncello cuts a noble figure.

The Scotland and Great Britain steeplechaser holds British and US passports, but has rejected significant resources from America despite the fact that the UK is doing almost nothing for him.

His mum, Pat, is Scottish and dad, Stephen, is American, while his 18-year-old sister, Simone lives in Texas. But despite his cosmopolitan background, Lemoncello knows where his heart is.

He will run the 3000 metres steeplechase for Britain at the European Cup Final in Munich next weekend, but has been offered a full-time job in America. He has turned that down, and has dismissed the chance of lucrative shoe sponsorship, because he would have to forfeit his British citizenship and the right to run for Scotland.

"A noble gesture? Perhaps. I just hope it doesn't backfire on me," he said yesterday between shifts at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews.

Less than a week after having won silver at the NCAA Championships in California (lifetime best of 8min 27.29sec) the former Madras College boy was back waitering, to raise money for the next stage of his career.

A sport studies graduate of Stirling University, and now with a sports management degree from Florida State University, he is heading for Flagstaff, Arizona, in the autumn. "I'll be training there with a group which includes two steeplechasers, former Olympic silver medallist Bernard Lagat, and several others who are looking long-term to the marathon, which is my eventual goal. But not before I have explored my full steeplechase potential.

"I will probably have to get a job in Arizona, to make ends meet. If I was an American, my second place in the NCAA would guarantee a good shoe sponsorship and living expenses, with full support. But not as a non-American. I've no funding from UK Athletics. When I'm in Scotland, I get physio support from Tayside Institute, but I am hardly here, and I have no UK lottery funding.

"I've got a US passport, and for US citizens there's good money on the road circuit.

I know of one British athlete who is considering switching. The question of using my US passport has come up a lot.

It would help me chase the dream if I got full support, but no. It would feel funny running for anyone else.

I've always run for Scotland."

The Kenyan world record holder in Lemoncello's event has switched allegiance to Qatar, lured by petro-dollars. Dozens of other Kenyans have done likewise. A slew of south sea islanders have become All Black. Chinese table tennis and badminton stars ply their trade outside their homeland. Squash player Peter Nicol notoriously defected from Scotland to England. Edinburgh-born Kathy Butler ran for Canada but switched back to Britain where funding is better. The whole Haiti football team did a runner in the US this week.

Lemoncello was chosen for the last Commonwealth Games, but it clashed with the NCAA indoors, and he was forced to decline under the terms of his scholarship.

"I drove through Glasgow after landing there on the way home from the States this week," he said. "I saw the 2014 Commonwealth Games signs. It looks pretty special, and that would be inspirational, especially having missed out last year. And I will certainly be coming home next winter. I want to qualify for the world cross country championships in Edinburgh. I said to my coach that I have to run that, and he agrees."

Lemoncello has 14 medals, both conference and regional, from his US collegiate career. Only two are not gold. Last year he helped his college win the overall NCAA team title, and defended successfully last week. "Louisiana State were second. They had 20 athletes on the podium. We won with just seven," he said.

His team included Walter Dix, ahead of world record-holder Asafa Powell at 100m this year with 9.93secs, and 44.62secs 400m man Ricardo Chambers. "Dix is reputedly about to sign a six-figure shoe contract," says Lemoncello.

The Scot hopes to qualify for the World Championships in Japan this year, and World Student Games. The 'chase in Beijing is next year's target.

"I'm looking at my first half marathon in Glasgow this autumn, as the start of preparation for the longer stuff, but I hope to get close to 8:20 for the 'chase this year. Tom Hanlon's Scottish record (8:12.58) may be beyond me, but I'd like to think I can get below 28 minutes for 10k. I've run 28:28 this year, without coming off steeple training."

Come 2014, the Commonwealth marathon in Glasgow is the goal. He will have earned his country's support.