Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes will be getting good luck messages from his old pals in Dumfries before tonight’s game kicks off against Croatia.
Among them will be the Doonhamers Tartan Army Supporters Group co-founder, Ross Corbett.
Ross and his partner Angela Williamson – Lyndon’s cousin – put the player up at their home for six months when he was struggling to get a game for Queen of the South reserves.
Ross, 49, will be at Hampden with the Tartan Army tonight, hoping and praying Lyndon helps the squad achieve something a Scotland team has never done.
He said: “Lyndon is a quiet, unassuming, friendly big guy who’s great with kids and doesn’t think he’s some kind of superstar footballer despite the haircuts.
“We’ve kept in touch ever since he first came to Scotland from Australia to play football in 2014 and he stayed with us for a few months.
"Back then, he was struggling to get a game for Queen of the South reserves.
“Now Scotland have got Lyndon and Grant Hanley playing. It’s amazing having two players with connections to Dumfries and Queen of the South.”
Before Ross – who has only ever missed one Scotland home game since 1990 – travels to Glasgow with his fellow Doonhamers Tartan Army mates, he’ll text Lyndon to wish him all the best.
“I wished him well before Friday’s game at Wembley and I’ll do the same before the Croatia game.
“He always replies.
“After Friday’s performance, the fans are going to Hampden with real hope.
“If we manage to win, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us all. We’re hoping to witness a wee bit of history on the pitch.”
Meanwhile, another Tartan Army member, Grant Ireland, has told how he was running an amateur pub team when Dykes turned up one day and asked if he could play.
Grant, 47, from Dumfries, said: “I didn’t want to drop any of my regular players so I wasn’t keen, but I decided to give him a go in the second half and he scored two goals to make the final score 3-3.
“He was a great lad.
“Having Lyndon and Grant Hanley in the Scotland team makes it even more special for the Doonhamers Tartan Army. It feels like we’ve
got a special affiliation with this Scotland squad because of the lads.
“A lot of the younger Doonhamers Tartan Army boys played with big Grant in Dumfries in the under 10 and 12 teams, so it’s great for all of us.”
Grant joined the Doonhamers Tartan Army Supporters Club in the mid-90s and has been all over the world following Scotland.
He said being at Wembley on Friday was one of the best moments of his life.
But he’s hoping it’s topped on Tuesday.
Grant said: “We’ve had so much heartache over the years, so when you get moments like this – when we could qualify for the
next round of the Euros – it’s an unbelievable feeling.
“We’ll take goals from any of our players but I’m hoping that Lyndon will do the business.”
