From Denmark delight to joyless Japan: Iconic moment 'hits home' as Scots seek to boost legacy

That was evidently lacking at the national stadium on Saturday as the Scots’ began their preparations for this summer’s tournament with an uninspiring 1-0 friendly defeat against Japan.

This was a far less rip-roaring spectacle than that famous 4-2 victory over the Danes in Mount Florida. Disappointing, yes, but there were enough positives for Clarke and his players to draw on.

From the delight of Denmark to a joyless Japan showing

If it wasn’t a World Cup year, the result and performance would remain largely irrelevant. But not on this occasion because time is ticking away ahead of their opening World Cup clash with Haiti in Boston on June 14.

Momentum is needed in order to hit the ground running. Clarke’s side must ensure they don’t limp into the summer like they did in the lead up to the previous European Championships in Germany.

Sweeping changes are anticipated against Ivory Coast on Tuesday. They need to come out fighting and rediscover their stride again.

“We're in a group with some really tough teams so everyone's all looking forward to it,” said Bologna midfielder Lewis Ferguson. “But there's a lot of work to do from now until the summer.

“Getting back into camp this week, there's been that extra bit (of excitement) knowing that we're here to prepare for the World Cup, it does make a difference. Every time you meet up, it's a privilege and there's always that sort of feeling around the place.

“Over the last four years that I've been involved, there's been some real highs and lows. Now it's just about our preparation because we want to go that one step further. I think we've got the quality and we've got the team to do it. It's just preparing and putting that into work.”

After a near 30-year wait, a nation starved of success is back in the international spotlight and it’s all systems go ahead of returning to the grandest stage in world football this summer.

Scott McTominay’s outrageous bicycle kick from the gods, Kieran Tierney’s howitzer and Kenny McLean’s stunner from the halfway line... three goals that will go down in legend. Celebration mixed with raw emotion that is unlikely to ever be emulated.

Four months on and despite the disappointment of the outing against Japan, here we are back reminiscing about those euphoric scenes. As the squad reunited for the first time on Monday, they were greeted by some spectacular new artwork plastered over the gable end of an old tenement building directly overlooking Lesser Hampden.

There it was. A breathtaking 36-foot tall mural capturing McTominay’s acrobatic effort against Denmark. A moment frozen in time. What a sight to behold.

“Yeah, it's hit home now,” Ferguson grinned. “Obviously, when you see that, it's nice. Scotty's scored one of the best goals that I've probably ever seen live. It was just such a special night.

“I'm so proud to be part of this group that's done it after such a long wait. It means so much to us, but it also means so much for the fans and everyone in the country. We feel that, we feel the backing, we feel everyone's right behind us. It's just one final push now from now until the summer and then it all begins.”

World Cup qualification driving Scotland squad on to write more history

Ferguson admits seeing what that famous night meant to the Tartan Army inside the stadium and the many millions watching on from across the globe is driving the squad on to create more history as Scotland look to progress from the group stage of a major tournament for the first time.

“Of course, that's probably the story of a footballer,” he added. “You can get that taste of success, but you always want to kick on and go one step further. That will certainly be your mindset.

“The fans are there to go and party and enjoy it, enjoy the experience. We're there to work, we're there to go and do our job. Obviously, we're going to enjoy everything that comes with the experience, but like I said, it's going to be difficult.”

Perhaps it’s time to dig out the archives and look back at old footage of previous Scotland teams competing at World Cups as a source of added motivation. For centre-back Jack Hendry, it would be of benefit.

Asked if they will sift through some old video as part of their preparations, the Al-Ettifaq defender admitted: “I think that would be important in the build-up. Obviously it has been that long, so we as a country need to appreciate it has been that long a wait, and make sure we celebrate this in a way that it might not come around again for the same amount of time.

“I think it's good to look back and appreciate what those guys did, and hopefully we can do even better. We've got a good core group of players that have had a lot of experience in major tournaments now, so I think it will definitely help us.

“Having that experience in the dressing room is very important when you go to these tournaments. Obviously we've got a lot of it now, we've been to two Euros and know what it feels like to not come out of the group.

“I'm aware (we’ve got a chance to create more history) and I'm sure that will drive the boys on in their determination to achieve that. It's something that Scotland has never done before, so that's going to be our ambition in the back of our minds to achieve that. We'll go out there and try to make the country proud.”