MARK McGhee today insisted a victory over England in the vital Russia 2018 qualifier at Hampden on Saturday will rank as one of the all-time great Scotland results.
And he has told the national team’s players they will write their name in the history books if they can score the winner in the Group F match against the Auld Enemy.
Gordon Strachan’s side is in fourth place in their section after five matches and has to win the match with Gareth Southgate’s team to stand any chance of reaching the World Cup finals next summer.
McGhee rates the visitors – who have, among others, Gary Cahill, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Jamie Vardy in their squad – highly.
He believes that overcoming them will be as good a result as the famous 1-1 draw with Wales in Cardiff in 1985 – a result which helped Scotland reach Mexico ’86.
“England have great players, really top players,” he said. “They are in danger of soon becoming a good team under Gareth.
“They are becoming it (a great team). We know the strengths of their individual teams. We don’t know the nature of their joint performance.
“They have great players, but they are not always a great team. He (Southgate) is trying to mould them into the great team and realise the potential they have in them.
“For us to beat even this team even at this stage of their evolution would be a great result. I think in terms of us getting back in the competition it would rank with Cardiff and other games like that."
McGhee added: “A lot of our boys are familiar with their players and there is no mystery. Some of our boys who have played them will have had good days against them.
“So it is not something they go into with any fear. We are playing a group of players who are good players, at a high level, but there is a performance within us, no doubt about it, that means we could get a result.”
McGhee only won four caps for his country during his playing days – but one of those outings came against England at Hampden in 1984 when he scored in a 1-1 draw.
However, the 60-year-old believes the player who hits the target will never be forgotten by grateful members of the Tartan Army.
“People need to be reminded of my goal v England,” he said. “If one of these guys get the winner people will always remember it.”
Kieran Tierney, the Celtic full-back who suffered a serious mouth injury in the William Hill Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen last month, is available for selection after receiving a special gum shield.
The 20-year-old, who is expected to play at right back, is having difficulty shouting to his team mates, but McGhee expects him to be fine in the Russia 2018 game on Saturday.
“He'll get used to it,” he said. “I'm quite sure he will find a way of communicating. I'm not 100% sure he's a lad who says that much to anybody anyway. I don't see that as an issue.”
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