HIS HIGHS...

1 SCOTLAND...1 REP OF IRE...0 EURO 2016 QUALIFYING CELTIC PARK, NOVEMBER 14, 2014

A TRULY thunderous evening under the floodlights at Celtic Park saw both sides exchange blows in an enthralling Euro 2016 qualifier. In a highly physical, bruising encounter which lacked clear-cut chances, it always seemed like one goal would be enough to settle things — and so it proved. From a well-worked corner routine, Scott Brown played a cute backheel for Shaun Maloney to curl a majestic effort into the bottom corner and spark scenes of utter delirium.

2 SCOTLAND...1 SLOVAKIA...0 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING HAMPDEN PARK, OCTOBER 5, 2017

A QUALIFICATION campaign that started poorly had many questioning whether the squad had what it takes to earn a spot in the play-offs. A resurgence came with wins over Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta, before rivals for second place, Slovakia, made the trip to Glasgow. Luggage lost at the airport and down to ten men in the first half, it was all going Gordon Strachan and Scotland’s way at Hampden. This was a must-win and, as the team searched desperately to find the breakthrough, the Tartan Army went berserk when former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel put through his own net. Strachan celebrated wildly as the play-off place was back in Scotland’s hands with just one game to play.

3 SCOTLAND...2 ENGLAND...2 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING HAMPDEN PARK, JUNE 10, 2017

THE sheer intensity of noise that erupted at Hampden when Leigh Griffiths fired the second of his two free-kicks into the English net will stay with Strachan until the day he dies. It was magical, once-in-a-generation stuff... or at least it could have been. The noise inside the national stadium was absolutely deafening for a couple of minutes, but you could have heard a pin drop when Harry Kane slotted an equaliser for England with pretty much the last kick of the game. Strachan later admitted that, had his side held on, it would have ranked as the greatest result of his managerial career.