He should have been one of the main characters when Scotland booked their place in the World Cup play-offs back in November.
Instead, Scott McTominay was left feeling like he’d been trapped in the wrong movie after being reduced to a small-screen watching brief as Steve Clarke’s men got the results which kept their Qatar dream on track.
A throat infection picked up during the national team’s Spanish training camp in La Finca ahead of the double header with Moldova and Denmark meant the Manchester United ace was forced to fly home and watch on TV as the Scots booked their home semi-final slot with back-to-back victories.