By the time Alex McLeish made his World Cup debut at Spain in 1982, he had won the Premier Division and Scottish Cup with Aberdeen, made no fewer than 15 appearances for Scotland and played his part in a victory over England at Wembley.
Yet, being in a squad with the likes of Steve Archibald, Alan Brazil, Kenny Dalglish, Allan Evans, Frank Gray, Alan Hansen, Asa Hartford, Joe Jordan, John Robertson, Graeme Souness and John Wark at those finals still left him a little awestruck.
“Guys like Graeme, Kenny, Robbo, all the English-based players in fact, were just different,” said McLeish. “For some reason, they seemed to be at a higher level than the Scottish-based players.
“They certainly had more confidence. Robbo, God rest him, was a really gallus wee character and that was something that rubbed off on you. They inspired us to play at a higher level.”
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Having Gray, Hansen, Robertson, Souness, Wark, Archibald, Jordan and Brazil on the park in the final Group 6 game against the USSR in the La Rosaleda in Malaga at Spain ’82 failed to prevent Scotland from crashing out of those finals.
The national team needed, after a victory over New Zealand and a defeat to Brazil, a win to progress out of their section at a major tournament for the first time ever. But they were held to a 2-2 draw and missed out on goal difference.
Would they, though, have got so close without players who plied their trade at such a high level in England and Europe with their clubs? McLeish is doubtful. He is convinced they helped the side, due to both their ability and mentality, scale greater heights than they otherwise would have.
The man who donned a dark blue jersey at three consecutive World Cup finals – he was also at Mexico ’86 and Italia ’90 – and had two spells in charge of his country sees similarities between those icons of the Scottish game and a few members of the current set-up.
John McGinn, Scott McTominay and Andy Robertson were unable to help their homeland to reach the knockout rounds at either Euro 2020 or Euro 2024.
Can they inspire their compatriots this time around? Their former manager is certain the presence of trio, who have spent the past nine months turning out for Aston Villa, Napoli and Liverpool at home and abroad, in the United States will be pivotal because of the level they operate at and stature they possess.
McLeish’s last spell in charge of Scotland ultimately ended in disappointment following a poor start to Euro 2020 qualifying. Still, he can take justifiable pride at how that key trio, and a few others who Clarke has called up for the World Cup, have flourished since that difficult transitional period when he watches the Group C matches against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in the coming days.
“I thought it was really important that we got the new kids on the block into the team,” he said. “The country had been stagnant. I felt it was time. We needed a wee bit of a change of direction.
“There was a lot of change, a lot of young boys coming through. They didn't have all the answers at that time, but they learned. They were young, but they were determined to do everything they could for the team. I think they have done alright.”
McGinn was handed his international debut by Gordon Strachan in the 1-0 friendly win over Denmark at Hampden in 2016 when he was still at Hibernian and made another five appearances before McLeish came in.
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But the former Motherwell, Hibernian, Rangers, Birmingham City and Aston Villa manager recognised the Clydebank-born kid’s raw potential and handed him extensive game time during his tumultuous 14 month tenure.
“I wanted to give guys like John as many minutes as I could,” he said. “He was brilliant at holding people off. He did that Kenny Dalglish thing, just shoved his a*** out there to create half a yard of space for himself. It was a big part of his skill set.
“The more games he played the more I thought to myself, ‘He is going to play for a top team in England one day and be in the Scotland side for a long time’. Sure enough, he has just got better and better.”
The 85-times capped 31-year-old is now his country’s fifth highest scorer – only Denis Law, Dalglish, Hughie Gallagher and Lawrie Reilly have netted more than 20 times – and he will be desperate to add to his international tally at the World Cup.
McLeish, though, saw there was far more to the ex-St Mirren kid, who captained Villa to a place in the Champions League league phase and Europa League glory last month, than just physicality and goals. He knows Meatball will be good for morale in the camp during the duration of the tournament too.
“John has a great personality,” he said. “He was really good with the players. He quickly became a giant in the squad. Steve probably has the best player he could possibly have for fostering team spirit in John. He has got a tremendous attitude and always shows his quality on the park.”
But there was only one player who McLeish was ever going to choose to replace Scott Brown as captain of his country when he took over from his former Aberdeen and Scotland team mate Gordon Strachan.
“Andy has really grown into the role,” he said. “There could be nobody better to skipper the boys in America. It was an easy decision for me to appoint him. If somebody else had taken over as manager they would have done exactly the same thing.”
Whoever was in charge of Scotland would have, as McLeish famously did, driven for seven hours through a blizzard to try to persuade Scott McTominay to pledge his international allegiance to the country of his father’s birth after the midfielder made his breakthrough at Manchester United.
“It wasn’t rocket science,” he said. “I went to watch him play for United against Crystal Palace. He played in a midfield holding role in front of the back four and orchestrated his side. There was a lot to like.”
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The 67-year-old, though, has been pleased to see the exceptional player that McTominay, who was a darling of the Tartan Army long before his overhead kick against Denmark back in November, has become.
“He has matured and developed a lot,” he said. “He has great athleticism and a wonderful feel for space, an ability to come late into a box in the way Frank Lampard used to. He has been fabulous for us.”
McLeish feels much the same about the man who took over from him as Scotland manager. He couldn’t understand the rumblings of discontent there were in certain quarters when the SFA announced last week that Clarke had signed a four year contract extension and would remain at the helm until the 2030 World Cup.
Many members of the Tartan Army have, despite the success the national team have enjoyed in European Championship and World Cup qualifying as well as the Nations League under the former Newcastle United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Liverpool assistant, issues with the Ayrshireman because of the style of play he favours. His predecessor isn’t one of them.
“I totally understand why Steve approaches games the way he does,” he said. “I don’t care about any of the negativity that there sometimes is towards him. He has done an incredible job with the players he has available to him. I am a big fan.”
There were a few raised eyebrows in the stands at Hampden during the warm-up friendly against Curacao last Saturday as Scotland and their opponents took water breaks midway through each half despite the mild temperatures.
But McLeish understood that it was done to prepare for the stifling heat and high humidity which Robertson and his team mates will encounter over in the United States. He knows from personal experience that the work Clarke’s support staff do before and after the games will be every bit as important as what his players do on the park.
“The sports science team will be doing everything they can to keep them right and advising them appropriately,” he said. “In the modern day game, with the money that is in the atmosphere, you have to be thorough, absolutely spot on with your training, your physiotherapy, your preparation, your advice.
“Everything has to be done to the nth degree. We can’t be like the Scots who go to Spain on holiday and rush out into the sun without any cream on. Probably in the past we were a bit like that. Acclimatising will be important. We did it before Mexico. We played a game against LA Heat in California.
“What players do with their down time, and there will be a lot of it, will be important too. You have to keep them in a good space. Some of them might like the privacy. They are all different characters. The key thing is to give them the option to do what they want to do.”
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Like every member of the Tartan Army, McLeish is hopeful that this Scotland side can do what no other team from this country has before and go through to the last 32 at this World Cup. The goalkeeping situation, though, does concern a man who played with legends like Andy Goram and Jim Leighton behind him.
Angus Gunn, the son of his former Aberdeen and Scotland team mate Bryan, played just 45 minutes for Nottingham Forest last season. Craig Gordon, too, has made just one competitive appearance for Hearts this year.
At the grand old age of 43, Gordon will be the oldest player at the finals and the second oldest ever to take part after Essam El Hadary, who was 45 when he turned out for Egypt at Russia 2018, if he gets on the park.
“All credit to Craig to still be playing,” said McLeish. “It is incredible. But at that age, your athleticism starts to disappear. It is hard to maintain that when you get over 36 or 37. If he is on his line and somebody puts a shot in to the top corner is he going to get it? Is he going to move his feet quick enough and get across? I don’t know.”
Alex McLeish is unsure if Scotland will be able to get out of the group stages and give the Tartan Army reason to cheer at the World Cup, but he certainly expects John McGinn, Scott McTominay and Andy Robertson to leave nothing on the park as they try to make history.
