CRISTIANO RONALDO, Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane – and Scott McTominay.
The average football fan from abroad will probably look at the Euro 2024 qualifying top scorers and think, ‘The Scotland striker has had a good campaign’.
McTominay’s record of seven goals in seven games is one any top No9 would be proud of.
It’s an unbelievable return from the Man United midfielder and he deserves to be rubbing shoulders with all those superstars in the scoring charts.
But it only tells half the story of his contribution to Scotland’s qualification for next summer’s finals.
McTominay has been more than just a goalscorer for Steve Clarke’s side.
He has been a leader and a warrior for Scotland in every single game.
Even in Georgia, when things were getting really niggly, he was the one leading the fight.
And after the game, McTominay was the man who rightly called Willy Sagnol’s players “cry babies” for their antics.
McTominay was born in England but you can tell that playing for Scotland means everything to him.
Most read in Football
On that, a special mention to Alex McLeish for his key role in persuading him to commit in 2018.
England boss Gareth Southgate was also having a look at McTominay during that period.
But Alex travelled down for talks with the Man United man and that personal touch paid off.
McTominay has been all-in with Scotland since making his debut five years ago and Clarke is getting the best out of him.
It took a while to find his ideal position – he played as a centre-half and also in a sitting midfield role.
In terms of how fans viewed him, he also maybe suffered from being the Man United star turning up for Scotland duty.
I remember it with Darren Fletcher. He was playing every week at Old Trafford and people sometimes expected too much of him.
But McTominay has really blossomed with Scotland over the last 18 months playing in that advanced midfield role.
It’s perfect for him and he has stepped up time after time.
He has the pace, energy and talent to make things happen and he can also get a goal.
Do not underestimate just how good a finish that was from him in Georgia on Thursday night.
McTominay gets big goals in vital moments and is emerging as a talisman for the team.
Lawrence Shankland grabbed the all-important late equaliser and I was happy for the Hearts man.
As a striker myself, I’ve been in his shoes – patiently waiting for your chance.
You need to take it when it comes and I don’t think anyone else in the Scotland squad would have scored that header.
Yes, we have aerial threats like Lyndon Dykes, but Shankland’s movement and awareness was top class.
It was a real striker’s finish and that ability to find space and nick a goal could be priceless for Scotland.
There will be games that don’t suit Shankland and he will understand why Clarke will go for Dykes or Che Adams.
But in certain moments, like in Georgia, strikers like Shankland become so valuable.
If it was up to me, he would be on that plane for Germany next summer.
Special mention also to Lewis Ferguson, who made a massive impact off the bench.
The Bologna midfielder has had to be patient and wait for his chance because we are so strong in that area.
But Ferguson showed how big a player he can be for Scotland in that second half in Georgia.
He was the one taking the game to them and driving the team on.
There were a lot of unselfish runs from him and he made a big difference.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Ferguson has done enough to earn a start against Norway tomorrow night.
Scotland have qualified but there is still so much at stake as we battle for a pot 2 place at the Euros.
Norway are scarred by Oslo in June when Dykes and Kenny McLean scored those two late goals.
Stale Solbakken hasn’t been shy in claiming his team were better on that day – despite losing 2-1.
Norway will be coming to Hampden looking for revenge and aiming to spoil the celebrations.
Yet it now looks like Erling Haaland will join Martin Odegaard in missing the trip to Glasgow.
McTominay and his Scotland pals will turn up for the final game of a memorable campaign.
Let’s hope they have one big performance left and Hampden can host a proper party.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
