Mark McGhee hopes for Celtic boost when Scotland play England

Mark McGhee is confident Scotland’s Celtic contingent can inspire their national side to victory over England on Saturday.

Six members of Gordon Strachan’s squad collected Scottish Cup winners’ medals at Hampden two weeks before the World Cup Qualifier after completing a 47-match domestic season unbeaten.

All of them – Craig Gordon, Kieran Tierney, Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths – started in Scotland’s 1-0 victory over Slovenia in March.
McGhee knows how a cup final buzz can carry over into an Auld Enemy clash – he netted in a 1-1 draw with England in the final home international meeting in 1984, seven days after scoring a Hampden winner for Aberdeen against Celtic.

So he feels the confidence of the Celtic players can lift the Scots.
„I think that’s important,“ he said. „That’s why we played the six lads: they brought a confidence and an understanding between each other which added something to the team.

„Like you said, I scored the goal in the cup final and a week later I scored against England so hopefully that’s an omen. I definitely went into that match confident and I’m sure they will too.

„Last time out we saw their energy and their enthusiasm and the confidence obviously, but there was another advantage too, in that you feel as if the players are connected. They have an understanding of each other’s game, whether it’s the midfield players linking with Griff up front for example.

„That’s an attribute that is hard to bring that to a team when you have a week to work with them.“