Tosh McKinlay claims he was the oldest rookie in town when he was flung in for only his fifth Scotland cap in the Euro’96 battle with the Auld Enemy at Wembley.
That one ended in heartbreak - no thanks to a questionable spot of psychic sorcery from Uri Geller moving the ball just as Gary McAllister struck a second half penalty.
But 25 years on the former Celtic star is confident Steve Clarke ’s young guns are the real deal.
And he is backing them to work their magic on the Three Lions as they gear up for the exact same fixture at our first European Championships since that painful day in the blazing London sun.
Back in ’96 a 31-year-old McKinlay lined up on the left of Craig Brown’ experienced side in which nine out of the 11 starters were 30 or older.
They went into the tie on the back of a narrow loss to Holland in the opening game.
This time round Declan Gallagher at 30 is the oldest outfield member of Clarke’s entire squad.
And McKinlay reckons an opening victory against Czech Republic can set them up to make history by qualifying for the latter stages and beating England along the way.
Asked if he fancied Scotland to qualify he said: “Yeah I do. Third place could get us in there too. But, listen, win your first game and then take it from there.
“I don’t think England will enjoy us going to their home patch.
“It was a nervy game in ’96 where we probably had the upper hand but I don’t think they’ll enjoy Scotland going down there.
“They’ve got to get the result so Steve Clarke will have us set up well and hopefully we go into the game with a bit of confidence and get the result required. I do fancy us on that occasion.
“If you look at the way Steve sets up the team it’s very similar to Craig Brown and the way we played the 3-5-2. Hard to beat and could always nick a goal with Kevin Gallacher or Jukey (Gordon Durie).
“It’s very similar to that squad: very together, will fight for each other.
“They showed that throughout the campaign, right to Serbia and when it went down to the wire with David Marshall pulling off that fantastic penalty save.
“They know how to win. There’s a few at big clubs now and they’re playing as a unit.
Looking back 25 years McKinlay still feels the agony of missing out on the latter stages by a single goal.
The 1-0 win over Switzerland in the final group game would have been enough to take Brown side through if England beat Holland 4-0 - and that result was on until a late Patrick Kluivert penalty spelled more heartache for Scotland.
McKinlay said: “I missed the first game with Holland and Craig Brown pulled me aside and told me I would play against England at Wembley.
“That was amazing. On the day I think we deserved something from the game and if Uri Geller hadn’t moved the ball we would have got something.
“It was a great spectacle.
“I was a rookie but I was the oldest rookie in town.
“Euro ’96 was special, England at Wembley is every schoolboy’s dream.
“If you think about the game we started really well and then they got a foothold with the goal.
“When we got the penalty we looked really strong at that point and if we had scored I think we would have beaten them.
“But we missed and then Paul Gascoigne comes up with a bit of magic and sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say there’s nothing you can do about it.
“If you win it is the best game ever, but when you lose it is so disappointing.”
Key to Scotland’s hopes this time round will be McKinlay’s old position on the left side of defence where Clarke finally appears to have solved the problem of shoehorning Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson into the same starting XI.
And with EPL experience right through the ranks, McKinlay is hopeful something special could be brewing.
He said: “Tierney has been magnificent. He took a bit of time to settle at Arsenal because of the injury.
“At Celtic he was an out and out winner and he goes to Arsenal and wins the FA Cup as well. Not many have done that.
“He is a fantastic player who will go from strength to strength and this is another achievement for him helping Scotland to a major finals.
“It’s not like Scotland to have two world-class players in the same position. When I was growing up it was Danny McGrain and Sandy Jardine and they accommodated it by playing Danny at left-back.
“Who knows what the combination is going to be.
“We were very close in Euro 96.
“But hopefully this squad of players can get to the next level because it’s been a long time.”
