McGhee’s pain at Scotland’s finals flop

MARK McGHEE has revealed how jealous he was watching this summer’s European Championship and how it has only strengthened his desire to help Scotland reach the World Cup finals in Russia.

Scotland were the only British country not involved in France and they have failed to qualify for a major tournament since 1998. Gordon Strachan’s side begin their 2018 World Cup campaign in Malta on Sunday in the same group as England, Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania. Assistant manager McGhee said: “It was a painful summer.

“I did my best to enjoy the Euros but I was hugely jealous of the other nations there and kept trying to superimpose us at our best on certain games and in certain situations and wondering what we might have achieved. I go back to the Nigeria game at Fulham (a friendly in 2014), the supporters that night were just amazing. I said to Gordon, ‘Imagine going to a finals with this lot?’”

One man in the spotlight will be winger Oliver Burke after becoming the most expensive Scottish footballer ever with his £13million move from Nottingham Forest to RB Leipzig. McGhee, who had a season with SV Hamburg in the mid-Eighties, said: “He was in the squad before he made that amazing move.

“The first time I saw him here he blew me away. I was so excited by him.

“He still has a long way to go but he has gone to a tremendous league to learn his trade and develop as an international as well, so it is only a good thing.”