Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes securing qualification for next year’s European Championships could be a turning point for Scottish football.
Steve Clarke’s side take on Serbia in Belgrade in tomorrow night’s make-or-break Euro 2020 play-off final.
Victory would earn the national team a place in a major tournament for the first time since the 1998 World Cup.
And Dons manager McInnes believes seeing Scotland back on the main stage of international football would give the country a much-needed lift.
He said: “I think it would be huge and I think we could all do with a shot in the arm.
“I’ve got three boys myself who have had no hint of Scotland being involved in a major tournament, there are a couple of generations now who have only really felt disappointment and seen a lot of close run things over the years.
“So to actually get the country into a major championship would be a huge shot in the arm for everyone.
“But I think for future generations of supporters it’s important we try to make that step and we’ve got a brilliant chance.
“We’re clearly improving, there’s a hungry squad and the players are all motivated. They’ve still got to get the job done but I think we’re in as good a place as any in recent years.”
Andrew Considine is the only member of the Aberdeen squad on international duty with the Scotland senior team, although former Dons Kenny McLean, Scott McKenna, Ryan Christie, Ryan Jack and Lawrence Shankland are also involved.
The Dons have three players in the under-21 squad – Lewis Ferguson, Ross McCrorie and Connor McLennan – while Northern Ireland’s Niall McGinn and Matty Kennedy, Greg Leigh (Jamiaca) and Ronald Hernandez (Venezuela) were also called up. Kennedy has since withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad ahead of their play-off final against Slovakia with a knee injury.
McInnes, however, is pleased to see so many of his squad involved during the international window.
He said: “It does show we’ve got a good squad and it’s great for the players and Niall has been a real consistent inclusion for the national team for years.
“He’s still having an impact and scored in their last game and that’s brilliant for him.
“Niall is such a proud Irishman, when he goes away it means everything to him to represent his country.
“Even when he comes back and hasn’t had as much involvement as he would like, he never gets too down about it. He sees it as a real honour being involved in the squad and that’s great.
“We’ve now good a few more added to that international group and maybe the next step for some of the under-21s is to try to get involved in the full squad.
“In the past we’ve had boys finish at under-21s and not even be mentioned for the full squad.
“I actually think now there are players who are being questioned why they’re not in the full squad, which is a good thing.”
