AS somebody who played when Scotland actually qualified for major tournaments, the last two decades have been as hard for Alex McLeish as any supporter.

There have certainly been a few close calls since the national team took part in France ’98 and, indeed, McLeish was in charge for one of them. Coming up just short in his bid to make it to Euro 2008 in his first brief tenure still eats away at him.

The 59-year-old can still recall how the entire nation was gripped by excitement during that campaign and admitted yesterday that he hopes to generate that sort of belief once again this time around.

He may only have been manager of his country for 10 games back in 2007. During that time, though, his side defeated Georgia, the Faroe Islands, Lithuania, France and Ukraine to give themselves an outstanding chance of progressing to the finals in Austria and Switzerland.

It all boiled down to a final Group B match against Italy at Hampden. The result may, typically after a shocking refereeing decision in the closing stages, have been a narrow 2-1 defeat.

But the sense of optimism their exploits created remained with him

“Italy was a massive game,” he said. “In the week leading up to it, the press built it up superbly. You knew it was one of the biggest games of your life. At 1-1 my career flashed before my eyes. James McFadden came in at the back stick for a ball across the face of the goal from Kenny Miller and could just not connect with it.

“We bombarded the Italians in the second half. Barry Ferguson pounded Andrea Pirlo. I thought: ‘That Pirlo guy must be ready to retire’. I think he played for about another 10 years to an even better level.

“That’s the type of team we were at the time. Not just a swashbuckling, happy-go-lucky side, we were organised at the back, with big David Weir marshalling the troops, as we expect Charlie Mulgrew to.

“I kind of felt it when Gordon was on that roll towards the end of the campaign. I really thought after the England game we would at least make the play-offs. It was the most exciting period for me since, just witnessing it and coming to some of the games.”

McLeish has no fewer than 10 uncapped players in his 26-man squad and looks set to give several of them their Scotland debuts this evening.

Scott McTominay, who has become a regular starter for Manchester United this season, is almost certain to feature. However, the manager will not risk suffering a defeat just to blood youngsters. He believes it is vital his reign gets off to a winning start.

But he said: “It’s also very important that I see these players can handle this well. A lot of them have already been at this level. There will be an introduction of younger players and my message to them is ‘go for it’.

The gauntlet is down. Go and seize your chance.”

With Chris Martin and Leigh Griffiths among the experienced players left out of the squad it is unclear who will provide the goals that will clinch a morale-boosting victory. However, McLeish has been impressed with both Jason Cummings and Oliver McBurnie in training this week. He may also play some players out of position.

“We are going to have to see what the strikers can do,” he said. “If they can bring it within this structure or whether we have to find goals from somewhere else. But we have to give respect to the strikers we have brought into the squad and look to see if they can be potential important goalscorers for Scotland.’

“We have Jason, we have Oli, who is a big unit. He’s good at taking the ball in and Jason has his different skills. If we can create the right environment for these guys they can score for Scotland.

“They will certainly have players round about them in central midfield and wide who we can use to help him.

“But McBurnie is wirey enough to help the team. Jason can be a bit of a maverick.

“He’s young and he has that wee bit of gallusness you would want to have in every single player. I’d have no fear over starting either.

“Maybe we will do something else, because we have looked at one or two other situations in training with players who are versatile. We can’t rule that out.

“We have to mix it up. We want to able to score with a long pass or a cross into the box. We have to use every available strength.”

McLeish feels that having a madcap character like Cummings, the Nottingham Forest player who is on loan at Rangers until the end of the season, can help his new-look squad to bond ahead of their Nations League matches.

“The dressing room culture is about banter,” he said. “He is one of these guys that is one of the livelier ones and the players respond to that.

“I said to James McFadden, ‘do you see a bit of you in him?’ He admitted he did a wee bit, aye.”

And McTominay? “Everybody has been bright in training so it’s hard to single anyone out,” he said. “He is a big athletic guy and he crosses the ground quickly. The Fulham boys [Tom Cairney and Kevin McDonald] have also come in and look at ease on the pitch.”

McLeish will tonight look to avenge that painful 1-0 World Cup 1990 defeat to Costa Rica 28 years on – and then end an equally lengthy and agonising wait to reach a major finals.