The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Hoops’ progress can boost World Cup bid: Brown
‘Qualification could be catalyst for Scotland’
Former Scotland manager Craig Brown believes Celtic’s Champions League qualification could be the perfect impetus for Scotland’s World Cup bid.
Celtic sealed their place in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in three years as a 5-4 aggregate win over Hapoel Be’er Sheva ensured the likes of Craig Gordon, Leigh Griffiths and Kieran Tierney get their first taste of the group stages.
Scotland players had to watch from afar as all of their neighbours reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages and Brown feels the fresh Champions League experience can translate to the national team.
Brown told Press Association Sport: “I’m delighted Celtic qualified. That could be the catalyst for the national team because these guys that play for Celtic and Scotland will get a boost from that.
“There’s a big difference between the SPFL and international football and if you’re bridging that by playing in Europe it’s a great boost to your players, especially when it’s the Champions League.
“Young players like Kieran Tierney, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths will get great confidence and experience from playing in the competition. Griffiths will get good experience playing against the best defenders in club football.”
The Aberdeen director’s own team have secured several impressive Europa League results in recent seasons but have still not managed to reach the group stages.
And the only members of the 27-man squad Gordon Strachan named for Scotland’s opening qualifier against Malta on September 4 who will be involved in Europe for the remainder of the season are the aforementioned Celtic players plus their team-mate, James Forrest.
It is a far cry from Brown’s days in charge, which saw Scotland qualify for Euro ’96 and the 1998 World Cup.
“With my Scottish teams, when we had Celtic and Rangers players, they were doing well in Europe,” said Brown, who was promoting the announcement of Exsel Group as the official mobile partner of the Scottish Football Association.
Meanwhile, Strachan insists Champions League football means more to Celtic than just the money.
Strachan revelled in memorable European nights at Parkhead after leading the club into the group section on three occasions during his four years in charge.
Even though the Scottish champions are set to receive a significant windfall, Strachan insists money cannot buy the memories that Champions League football creates.
He said: “It’s not just the money, it’s the fact you’re getting these huge nights again. These nights are phenomenal.
“It was the only time as manager that I’d run down the tunnel before kick-off. You get that five minutes, usually I was last out and shook hands with the opposing manager. But I used to like getting down there five minutes earlier just to join them in that atmosphere. When that music starts, ‘we’re in the big league’.
“It helps Scottish football as well, it brings attention here and it helps my players. Celtic might take the money now and buy someone in Scotland, so that money is generated through Scotland, which is much-needed.”
Strachan’s Celtic faced the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan, Benfica and Villarreal but he would love to see Brendan Rodgers’ side be grouped with Spanish giants Real Madrid in today’s draw.
Strachan added: “I was there three years and I always wanted Real Madrid. We had Barcelona, Man United, AC Milan, but Real Madrid has something.”