'Huge disappointment': Kenny Dalglish doesn't want Scotland to return home from World Cup with regrets like he did

The Scots’ record appearance holder featured eight times on the biggest stage in world football, scoring two goals across the 1974 (West Germany), 1978 (Argentina), and 1982 (Spain) campaigns.

Criticism was aimed at the way previous Scotland squads prepared in the leadup to those early World Cup appearances, but Liverpool great ‘King Kenny’ insists there was no excuses for their failure to advance beyond the group stage. He has challenged current head coach Steve Clarke and his squad to become national heroes by surpassing what many before have been unable to achieve.

“We were prepared, all right,” said Dalglish as he dismissed any notion that Scotland weren’t up to scratch. “It was just a huge disappointment for everybody that it didn’t pan out the way we would’ve liked. But there was nothing wrong with the preparation.

“We were hugely gratified to be there. My first experience of going to a World Cup was 1974 when we beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 here to get through. The qualification gave everybody great excitement, but we never did ourselves a favour with the results we came back with.

“I remember the situation with Zaire, coincidentally when the group went down to the last match and goal difference was going to decide it. Yugoslavia won 9-0... that doesn’t happen very often. So 74’ was a really difficult one. We never lost a game but we didn’t do enough to get through.

“Going beyond it, the qualification is something you can take immense pride from. We never did ourselves justice and we certainly didn’t do the supporters justice. The rules have changed now. Had there been three spots open to qualify, we might have got through. It definitely gives you a better chance, but you’ve still got to do it on the pitch and earn that right.”

Dalglish assesses Scotland’s World Cup chances

As for a parting message to Clarke and his squad, the 75-year-old declared: “They need to be proud of what they’ve achieved. Go out there, do as well as you possibly can and see what happens. If they can get through, it would be great for the whole country.

“The players can expect to enjoy it. When we were involved, we had that enjoyment but never the satisfaction because we didn’t produce what we were capable of. The games that we took points from were less expected than the ones we lost.

“Steve has done fantastically well to get us back to a World Cup, it’s a great achievement. I don’t think there’s any doubt about the progress they’ve made, even if they don’t do well in the World Cup.

“Of course, it’s going to be tough. Morocco have just been in the final of the African Cup of Nations, so they must be half decent. Brazil is Brazil, and Haiti... but there’s three chances of qualification from the group. Hopefully we can do it.

“It doesn’t really matter who we’re playing. With all due respect to Haiti, that is the game we will be expected to win. The other two on paper are more difficult games. But I’m sure Steve and his coaching staff will have them properly prepared and organised.”

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