ALEX McLeish believes Andy Robertson helping Liverpool to reach the Champions League final can inspire a generation of Scottish footballers to scale the same heights.
Scotland left back Robertson has been a key player for Jurgen Klopp’s side in the second half of the season and should start against Real Madrid in Kiev on Saturday week.
McLeish has left the 24-year-old out of his squad for the friendlies against Peru in Lima a fortnight today and Mexico in Mexico City four days later.
But he believes the country will benefit enormously in future from what the former Queen’s Park and Dundee United player has done at Anfield.
“It’s pure role model stuff isn’t it?” he said. “Young players who are watching Andy doing this are going to keep the passion that he has got. He has the personality to inspire our young kids to want to play at the very highest level. It shows it can be done.
“We probably don’t have an individual who is at the Gareth Bale level, but we have guys in other positions that are beginning to look very tasty indeed at the highest level.”
"Malky Mackay (SFA Performance Director) and I talk about this a lot. We hope that the Tierneys, the Robertsons, the Shinnies all these boys inspire the young ones that are coming through."
Meanwhile, McLeish has expressed confident Sporting Kansas City striker Johnny Russell can make the step up from the MLS to international football.
"For that player, it’s not a problem," he said. "He’s capable of playing international football again.
"He’s capable, he holds the ball well, he knows how to pass it – and he’s been scoring goals.
"OK, you might say it’s an inferior league. But how inferior is it to some of the smaller leagues in Europe – like our own?
"Because there are a lot of top players out there in the MLS. And he’s playing to a good level. He’s desperate to play for Scotland, as well.
"We don’t have many guys who can put the ball in the net. And I like players who like to go behind defenders. We probably lack that a little bit. But Johnny Russell has that.
"There’s a wee trend now of players actually going over to the MLS younger. One or two of the Belgian guys, one who was a hero at Standard Liege when I was at Genk, went to MLS. Now he’s with LA Galaxy. Living the dream in Holywood!"
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here