Night of glory – thanks to ex-Tannadice men

Scotland’s stunning win over Denmark to secure a home Word Cup play-off had the nation on its feet.

Steve Clarke’s side put in a solid defensive display as well as proving a constant threat to the Euro 2020 semi-finalists.

But it may not have happened at all, if not for Dundee United.

The Tannadice side can be credited for nurturing two of the key players in the Hampden tie.

Both John Souttar and Stuart Armstrong came through the youth ranks at United and were instrumental in Scotland’s win.

As well as heading in the opener, the nowHearts defender Souttar was awarded man of the match following an incredible return to the national side, which would have seemed so unlikely a year or so ago.

English Premier League star Armstrong made a cameo role, coming on with just 10 minutes to go – and what an impact he made.

The 29-year-old caused the Danes all sorts of problems before a beautifully weighted through ball for Che Adams to end the contest at 2-0.

In a nod to their graduates, the official Dundee United academy Twitter account posted: “A successful night for (Scotland), courtesy of #OurAcademy.”

Another of the successful United graduates, Ryan Gauld, also paid tribute to his ex-room-mate Souttar.

The Vancouver Whitecaps ace tweeted “What a man” in reaction to the defender’s man-ofthe-match award.

Dundee United’s other influence on Monday night’s result also came in the form of skipper Andrew Robertson.

While he did not come through the youth ranks, the Terrors were instrumental in his development, thrusting him into the spotlight as a teenager before his rapid rise to the top of the world footballing stage.

The Liverpool full-back was also full of praise for Souttar on social media, tweeting: “So happy for this man! What he’s been through and to come back in and put in a performance like that tells you everything you need to know about him.”

He added: “The celebration is back...”

United fans were quick to pick up on the celebration, originating from their time in tangerine, and shared images showing the pair, with Gauld, doing their celebration during the 2013-14 season.