CHE Adams has admitted the prospect of facing England in the World Cup finals for the first time has given the Scotland players an added incentive to beat Ukraine in their Qatar 2022 play-off semi-final.
Steve Clarke’s team will take on Oleksandr Petrakov’s side in front of a sell-out crowd in the rescheduled Path A match at Hampden tomorrow evening.
The visitors will take to the field in a competitive fixture for the first time since the Russian invasion of their country back in February and will have the support of the football world behind them.
But Adams, the Southampton striker who is set to start up front for the national team, has stressed that Scotland will not lack motivation either.
This country has not reached a World Cup finals since France ’98 some 24 years ago – and if they make it through to Qatar in November they will face England, Iran and the United States in Group B.
Adams knows it will be difficult to overcome Euro 2020 quarter-finalists Ukraine in the play-off semi-final and then Wales in Cardiff in the final.
However, the Leicester-born forward, who qualifies to play for this country through a grandmother who hails from Edinburgh, admits the prospect of facing England is an appealing one.
“It is a big incentive,” he said. “It gives everyone that bit more grit between the teeth.
“We’ve got Ukraine first, which is going to be difficult. We just need to get through this and then we’ll really build the belief.
“They have got quality. The thing I’ve noticed about international football is you aren’t always up against the biggest of countries, but they all have talent in their ranks. Every game is difficult.
“I’ve played against a few of the Ukraine players. Oleksandr Zinchenko is a great player. I think he plays a different position than he does for Man City. Then you look Andriy Yarmalencko at West Ham, he’s a really good player with a lot of quality. But we have sat down and looked at their whole team.
“I am sure they will be looking at us and thinking exactly the same thing, that we are a decent team as well. We have quality in the squad and great team character. That stuff doesn't come easy.
“We are also unbeaten in a while and that’s something we need to keep building. The foundations are there thanks to the gaffer and the team. It’s all on the pitch for everyone to see.”
