It was a touch frightening yesterday listening to Scott Brown, the Celtic and Scotland midfield player, talk about the last time Scotland were at the finals of a leading football tournament. Brown, seeming to grope back through the grainy images of history to the World Cup in France in 1998, almost made it sound as if the episode belonged to a bygone age, which perhaps it does.

Brown was 12 when Scotland last tasted a leading finals. It is a wrong that he and his team-mates are keen to put right, starting tomorrow against Norway at Hampden Park.

The Scotland squad had just watched a DVD of the France World Cup of a decade ago. “We saw the pictures of the Tartan Army — there were almost 50,000 of them over in France and it looked a good experience,” Brown said. “I remember it at the time. People with scarves, flags flying out the windows. I watched every game and it was different class. The World Cup is the biggest stage you can play on. For the Scotland fans, hopefully we can make it this time.

“Not getting to Euro 2008 was a massive disappointment and we don’t want to experience that again. We went to France and beat them 1-0. Everyone was talking us up and then we went over to Georgia and lost 2-0. We had a few injuries and suspensions in that game, and then came Italy. The lads were devastated. It has brought us closer together and stronger. We understand how devastating it is to get put out. Everyone has grown since then. It makes you stronger as a player and more willing to go that extra mile — win that tackle, block that shot and score that goal.”

Brown knows that, having lost to Macedonia before winning in Iceland last month, Scotland can give their 2010 campaign a massive boost by winning tomorrow. “I don’t think Macedonia was disappointing,” he said. “The result was disappointing, but I thought in the second half we attacked well, had one or two chances, should have had a penalty and were unlucky. Holland are a strong team but we know that if we beat Norway at home, we’ll have a good chance of qualifying.”