GORDON Strachan has paid a heartfelt tribute to Dutch football great Johan Cruyff - and revealed news of his death took the shine off Scotland’s win over the Czech Republic.

Strachan’s side recorded a narrow 1-0 triumph in a friendly against opponents who topped their Euro 2016 qualifying section in Prague on Thursday evening.

An Ikechi Anya goal in the 10th minute put the visitors in front in the Stadion Letna - and they held on to triumph thanks to some exceptional keeping from Allan McGregor.

Strachan is building towards the national team’s opening World Cup qualifier with Malta in September and the win is a positive start to the preparations for that campaign.

However, the 59-year-old revealed that learning that former Ajax, Barcelona and Netherlands superstar Cruyff had passed away after losing a fight against lung cancer had saddened him.

“It wasn’t a great day,” he said. “He was only 68. It’s nothing. I met him a few times. He was just a smashing fellow. He was the first real superhero of football who you saw regularly.

“We never saw Pele too much or Eusebio because it was just the start of television coming through and showing football more regularly. His movement was like a ballerina, he had the grace and the strength. And his ability was phenomenal.

“The way he played against Argentina in the 1974 World Cup was incredible. You’ve got to remember he played in the days when you got the first kick free. And usually the second and third.

“You could go through the whole team having kicks at you but he never seemed to complain. He just got on with it. He might have looked slender but he real core strength. That’s what we miss in Scottish football - players with core strength. I never played against him, thank goodness, but I enjoyed watching him from afar.”

Cruyff, a three-time winner of both European Cup and the European Footballer of the Year award, is one of a select group of truly great footballers who went on to enjoy successful careers in management after retiring from playing.

He took over at Ajax, where he had spent two spells as a player, in 1985 and instigated a system of play which was later credited for enabling the Amsterdam club to win the Champions League in 1995.

He returned to Barcelona as coach in 1988 and proceeded to win La Liga four seasons running as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1989 and the European Cup in 1992 during his time in the dugout at the Nou Camp.

He was also responsible for the setting up of the fabled La Masia youth academy which has since spawned talents such as Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Xavi. In 2010 all three players were finalists in the Ballon d’Or

“He was an incredible coach,” said Strachan. “It’s very hard to be one of these top, top players and then go on and become a top, top coach. There’s not many who have done that - you can count them on the fingers of one hand.

“It’s hard to keep that drive going when you’ve been a star from the age of 15 and 16 and then gone all the way up until he retired. It’s very hard to keep going. He added his own touch to the total football the Dutch played.

“I saw him play a couple of times for Ajax, more so the second time when he went back. I met him on the golf course a couple of times. I met with him Bobby Charlton - spot the odd man out there! He was alright at golf as well.”