STUART McCall proved he could cut it at international level by helping Scotland pull off a shock result against the World Cup holders.

And today he told the new recruits to Gordon Strachan's national squad that they can do exactly the same against Germany on Sunday.

The former Rangers midfielder first got the nod to play for his country in a friendly match against Argentina at Hampden in 1990.

The Diego Maradona- inspired South Americans had been crowned world champions at the end of a memorable finals in Mexico four years earlier.

But Andy Roxburgh's team ran out narrow 1-0 winners to the delight of the Tartan Army- thanks to a Stewart McKimmie goal that McCall set up.

The then Everton star went from strength to strength with his adopted homeland after that dream debut and ended up winning a total of 40 caps.

He even represented his country in Italia '90 just a few months after the win over Argentina and netted in a 2-1 triumph against Sweden.

Scotland will find themselves up against the World Cup winners once again this weekend when their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign gets under way in Dortmund.

It will be a tall order getting a draw, never mind a victory, against Joachim Low's formidable side away from home.

This is the first competitive fixture the Germans have had since defeating Argentina in Rio de Janeiro in July and there is sure to be huge backing for them. However, Motherwell boss McCall sees it as a great opportunity for ambitious Scotland players to make a name for themselves - and stake a claim for regular inclusion.

"That Argentina game in 1990 was quite unusual," he said. "Scotland had qualified for the World Cup, but there were four debutants - Robert Fleck, Craig Levein, Stewart McKimmie and myself. And we all went to the finals.

"Normally you build your squad for a finals during a qualifying campaign and then stick with it. But we got our debuts before the finals and all went on to play. Andy Roxburgh and Craig Brown went with the younger generation."

McCall added: "Having said that, I was 26. I had waited a long time to break through. But to make my debut in front of a full house at Hampden in a night game against the world champions made it all worth it.

"I also had a hand in our goal. I knocked the ball down for Stewart, my fellow debutant, to score. To then win the match was just incredible."

He went on: "To be honest, my international career could have ended there and I would have been happy! Short of actually winning the World Cup, you couldn't top it!

"Making my international debut against opponents like Argentina, there was always the chance that I could have been on the end of a severe dunt. If that had happened, it could have prevented my international career from getting up and running.

"But the win over Argentina played a big part in me and the rest of the lads getting our chance. It put me on the right road. Something like that can definitely be a stepping stone.

"We have got some new faces in the squad now. We have a couple of boys from Derby who were involved in our last match against Nigeria at the end of last season and one or two others. This is a big chance for them."

If Scotland can scrape a draw against Germany - or even, by some minor miracle, pull off the impossible and win - they will have gone an entire year without defeat.

The national team has been revitalised since Strachan has taken charge and has beaten Macedonia, Croatia, Norway and Poland and drawn with the USA and Nigeria in the last 12 months.

Despite the absence of Celtic captain Scott Brown and Hull's Robert Snodgrass, the Scotland coach believes the national team should approach this outing positively.

He said: "What we have to do is take confidence in how we have done recently. Sure, we haven't played a team as well equipped as Germany.

"But we have certainly done well when we have played teams that have gone to the World Cup. Results have spoken for themselves. We have had a gradual improvement.

"People outside our camp won't give us much chance, but we go in a confident vein. We will follow the same formula that we have done recently and will hopefully keep improving. That is what it is all about.

"The fans and the players and the staff are looking forward to it. In some ways, it might be a good thing for us to start off with a game like this.

"But we are not going there to marvel at their team and the stadium, we have a job to do and have to do it to the best of our ability.

"Obviously, qualification won't depend on this game. But it will be nice to get off to a good start in what will obviously be the most difficult game for us in the group.

"There have been a couple of games that we have got through with a bit of good defending and a bit of luck. But there has also been other games, like in our last game against Nigeria, where we played some really good stuff.

"It was heartening for people like Andy Robertson, Chris Martin and Craig Forsyth from Derby, some of the new faces, to perform so well in that game. Hopefully that will continue in the games we have ahead of us."