I’m glad I listened to the parrot on my right shoulder during that mission to get Scott capped
his part in the rise and rise of Manchester United midfielder Mctominay
had any other idea in my head!’ which was fantastic news.
“I told Scott he had made my trip, and said that I was sure once he established himself with United, he would go on to be a Scotland regular.”
While that is now very much the case, the midfielder has had to develop on the job. Mcleish acknowledged: “Listen, he was not going to come to us and, in the very first game, say: ‘I have got all the answers for you, Alex’. “But look at the strides he has made now.
“We experimented in that Costa Rica game (a 1-0 defeat at Hampden), and put in eight new faces.
“Years ago that would never have happened, but I thought before we had to saddle up for the competitive games: ‘Let’s have a look at all the lads who are just beginning to play for clubs at the top level’.
“So we had Scott and also the likes of the lads at Fulham, Tom Cairney and Kevin Mcdonald. “People thought with Scott: “He is Man. United, so he must be brilliant – let’s assess him instantly’.
“In that Costa Rica game, we were trying to find a bit of rhythm, and the game passed by a lot oftheboysinabitof blur, to be honest.
“But the more they play at the highest level, the more they come on.
“There was a time when
I said to Scott’s agent: ‘Do you not want him out (on loan) because if you do that, he will play every single week?’.
“Then, all of a sudden, Scott just started to play regularly – not as an absolute first-choice, but he was coming on in wee bits and pieces.
“Since then, he has grown in confidence. He was always a big lad with a good physique, and he now has a real stature on the football pitch.
“An example is his passing. He used to really strike the short ones – the five or 10-yarders – right at his team-mates, and I remember saying to him: ‘You can have a feather touch at times’. Now when you watch him, he has got that in his game. He has a real range of passing, and is looking extremely comfortable.
“Steve Clarke has a done a good job with him as well, giving him experience in the back three with much success.
“We have qualified for the Euros, and it is down in no small part to big Scott playing in there.”
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spoken of asking the Scot to push forward whenever he is able, and Mcleish expects the current Scotland boss to follow suit.
“I would think that will now be a feature of our play,” he said.
“While John Mcginn was in impeccable scoring form in the games, our strikers were not always looking like they would score,” he said.
“Scott is a powerful man, and if he gets to the edge of the box he has the ability to really his shots in.
“He has the ability to do a protection job as well, but he also has the legs to go up and down so he could be a No.8, and go box to box.
“It does look like one of those rises to a high status in the game. It is great Scott is doing so well and it is fantastic for the country.
“We have got him at the highest level. We have John Mcginn, Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Stuart Armstrong. All these boys are performing at the highest levelintheepl. “Nothing is going to scare them, and they will impart knowledge and confidence onto the boys who are playing in Scotland and elsewhere.
“With the Covid vaccine with us now, not only do we have the exciting prospect of them all playing at Wembley against England in the Euros, but that there will be fans at the game, too. “England versus Scotland is one to evoke all sorts of memories. “There are some famous Scottish victories for us to look back on and, of course, England will be flying their flag as well.
“We have all been through some hard times and the qualification is a boost for us all.
“Will I be proud to see Scott run out in those games? Of course, I will – but I think any manager in my position would have done the same.
“His enthusiasm on hearing my question about playing for us told me that I could have probably delayed it.
“But he was worth my adventure!”