STEVEN Naismith says Scotland will go into the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with genuine confidence, regardless of who they are drawn against.

The qualifying groups for the next European Championships in France will be drawn in Nice on February 23.

The tournament will swell to 24 finalists for the first time and the qualification procedure is expected to involve nine groups - eight with six countries and one with five (there will be 53 participating teams, including Gibraltar).

The top two in each group and the side with the best record of those that finish third will qualify automatically. The eight other third-placed countries go into the play-offs. Four will qualify and, with hosts France, make up the 24 finalists.

Scotland are expected to be among the Pot 4 countries and will hope the seedings prove to be deceptive. Belgium were seeded behind Croatia and Serbia in the recent World Cup qualifiers, yet won the group comfortably. Scotland are not in that class but will hope a favourable draw could see them finish in the top two despite an unhelpful seeding position.

Everton forward Naismith said the recent form justified the confidence among Gordon Strachan's players.

He insisted: "We've beaten Croatia home and away - the top seeds in our last group.

"We have to believe we can compete against anyone, go away from home and pick up wins, then hopefully win at home. I wouldn't choose this team or that team [that I'd want] in our group, it's just encouraging we know we can face most teams and think we can get a result. This is the most confident I've ever been with a squad about pushing on and actually getting to a finals.

"After the performance against Norway we have to look at starting to win the ball back [more effectively] and then killing the opposition's attacks. We have to knock the ball about, make them retreat, then start our own attacks.

"That maybe didn't happen against Norway [in Tuesday's 1-0 win]. We have to get to a stage that, when we are ahead in a game, we dictate the play and the tempo. We can't sit back and hope we don't concede. The manager will work on this and also sharpening up our play in the final third.

"But we now believe that in an away game we're not holding off for a draw. We are set up to believe we can go out and keep a clean sheet but we also have moves going forward that can win a match."

Naismith says Strachan has changed the team's mentality - from defending and trying not to lose a goal, to expressing themselves and having the confidence to go and play.

He added: "It's the biggest change I've noticed - then our players who are really good on the ball and can see passes can flourish.

"We rode our luck against Norway but you could also point to good defending and organisation and that's what the manager has worked on.

"When he didn't like the way we were playing, he changed the system during the game and the boys are all buying into it."

Naismith praised David Marshall - Scotland's best player in the midweek win in Molde - and said the keeper's form meant there was real competition with Allan McGregor to start for the national side.

Team-mate Russell Martin echoed that view and dismissed criticism of Scottish goalkeepers in a section of the English media - bizarrely started by the selection of Celtic's SPFL-based Fraser Forster for England's friendly against Chile.

The Norwich defender said: "I played with Fraser before and for me he is one of the best keepers in Britain. That's regardless of whether he plays in the Scottish Premiership, the English Premier League or abroad: he is just a top keeper.

"Marsh is the same and he's proved that. Also, Greegs [McGregor] has been in great form so I don't see where this criticism of Scottish goalkeepers comes from.

"Marsh has given the manager a major decision to make. He's probably not got as many caps as he deserves because Greegs is a fantastic keeper. But Marsh has come in against the USA and Norway and he's done really great. I'm so pleased for him because he's a good lad."