I’ve been re-run off my feet all summer
Hendry has spent lockdown battling Ronaldo and Gazza in TV repeat hell
COLIN HENDRY has been run off his feet all summer.
The former Scotland skipper had never watched any of his World Cup highs and lows until sitting down to lockdown blasts from the past in TV replays.
If he’s not being done by Gazza brilliance at Euro 96, it’s heartache against Brazil in Paris at France 98. But mention Morocco and it’s a video nasty.
The scenario that night in St Etienne was death or glory with Craig Brown’s side needing a draw or a win, coupled with a Brazilian victory over Norway, to claim a second-round place against Italy.
What unfolded was a defensive dismantling by the unfancied North Africans and Hendry said: “In a crazy way it was a stereotypical final group game for Scotland at a World Cup.
“We’d done so well in the opener against Brazil where we should have at least taken a point. Then we should have beaten Norway but only drew.
“If we’d gone into the game against Morocco knowing for a fact a draw would have been enough it would have made a big difference to our mindset.
“We went into every game wanting to win but it would have been nice to have had an insurance policy. When the draw was made people were saying Morocco were a gimme, a certain three points.
“We were going to lose to Brazil then it would all come down to ourselves and Norway. Nobody factored Morocco into the equation. As it turned out everybody underestimated Morocco, ourselves included.”
The underdogs showed their class as they hit Scotland on the break. Hendry added: “We were caught with a straight ball over the top in the first half which was a borderline offside.
“We were using three at the back. It had worked so well for us in the past but didn’t function well in that game. Another straight ball killed us at their second which Jim Leighton could only parry into the net.
“Then a deflected shot came off me for the third.”
The nightmare was compounded by a red card for Craig Burley at the start of the second half.
Hendry said: “Looking back, we lost to a good side who were better than us on the night and it was an opportunity missed yet again.
“What people also forget is it was to prove bittersweet for Morocco. They thought they were through having beaten us only to hear that Norway had beaten Brazil 2-1 in Marseille.”
It wasn’t until Hendry landed a move to Coventry in England’s top flight that the full impact of just how good Morocco were became clear.
He said: “Morocco were a slick side and in MustaphaHadj and Youssef Chippo they had two supremely gifted players.
“I would eventually become team-mates with both of them at Coventry.
“They were two big reasons why Coventry did well during that spell in the Premiership.”
Hendry has nothing but memories of immense pride of pulling on the dark blue of
Scotland. And he insists part of that includes shouldering the disappointments that came his way. He said: “I’ve had a busy summer when you think of the Euro 96 reruns on TV and the World Cup in 98.
“I’ve been all over the place and these are games I hadn’t seen before as I never watched matches back.
“One minute it’s the Gazza goal and the next I’m chasing Ronaldo in the game against Brazil.
“These are great and proud memories, we had some terrific moments at World Cups and some sore ones but at least we were qualifying back then.
“We went there, did our best and played with pride –all in the knowledge we were going in against the best.
“It was the World Cup and we were never going to win it.”