Time for change of luck for Scots

He has s u ff e r e d the terrible pain of Wo r l d Cup and European Championship qualifier exits, so Callum Davidson reckons it’s high time Lady Luck smiled on Scotland.

The St Johnstone manager played in the 1-0 1999 Wembley win over a star-studded England side featuring Alan Shearer, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Tony Adams.

But Craig Brown’s side agonisingly missed out 2-1 on aggregate in the twolegged tie for a place at Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium.

And three years ago Davidson was a member of Gordon S trachan ’s backroom team which drew 2-2 with the Auld E n e m y. Ha r r y K a n e ’s stoppage-time leveller left S c o t l a n d ’s Wo r l d Cup qualification hopes in tatters after Leigh Griffiths had blasted them into a 2-1 lead with two stunning free-kick strikes.

More than two decades have passed since Davidson was on the bench at Hampden when a Paul Scholes brace put Kevin Keegan’s England in the driving seat. He then figured in the team which came agonisingly close to overturning the deficit after Don Hutchison’s goal beneath the Twin Towers.

“Back then we’d qualified for so many tournaments, including the World Cup in France the year before,” recalled former Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers full-back Davidson.

“I don’t think any of us thought the wait for another one would be so long. Losing to your biggest rivals in a play-off match is the worst thing e v e r. Looking back, I still have the memory of playing and winning at Wembley. As a Scotsman that is fantastic, even if there were mixed emotions after the game.

“Christian Dailly had a chance to equalise, but he probably caught it too well and it was a great save by David Seaman. It would have been interesting if it had gone to extra-time as I was cramping up after 75 minutes. I don’t know if I’d have lasted much longer.”

Fast forward to 2017 and Davidson suffered more heartache in a group clash. He added: “That was a hard one being assistant manager at the time. The Griffiths free-kicks were spectacular and the crowd noise that day at Hampden will live with me for the rest of my life. Then Kane got that late equaliser. That sums up Scotland, but it would be great if we can change all that against Serbia tomorrow.

“Hopefully we can put in a performance and give the nation something to get really excited about. I think we are overdue a result in one of these qualifiers.”

Steve Clarke’s men can hand Scottish football a huge boost if they claim a spot at the finals by seeing off the Serbs. And Davidson isn’t bothered how they do it in Belgrade.

He said: “I’d settle for a win on penalties. I’d take anything to go through.

“It is going to be a real tough game. They are a top team and we shouldn’ t underestimate them.

“But we h av e given ourselves a real chance. It would great for Scottish football to make the finals next summer.”