The Big Interview Andy Watson

Look out for the kilted madman of Nottingham.

Anyone stumbling upon Notts County’s training this week might be surprised to learn the kilted madman doing the shouting is in charge.

Likewise, that he occupied a similar position for the ‘Miracle of Paris’ in 2007 an event he will be talking up to any Englishman that will listen.

Andy Watson, Alex McLeish’s No 2 with Scotland, Rangers, Hibs, Motherwell and Birmingham, is just back in the game as Chris Kiwomya’s new assistant.

However, as he explained, that won’t stop him having fun ahead of Wednesday’s Wembley renewal of the world’s oldest international fixture.

“It is Scotland v England so I’ll have the kilt on and will be giving it some,” Watson said. “I know I am new to the club but it is one of those things that have to be done.

“It is the first time we have played them since 1999 so it is a massive game.

“You have to make the most of these occasions when they come round and I am sure the English lads will relish the chance to give me a bit of stick back.”

Watson never achieved his ambition of winning a full Scotland cap, representing the Under-21 side being as close as he got.

However, he was in the dugout alongside McLeish for the famous European Championship qualifier win over France at the Parc des Princes.

A victory sealed by the country’s own ‘JFK’ moment.

Every Scotland fan remembers where they were when James McFadden collected the ball and from over 30 yards out hit a stunning shot past French keeper Mickael Landreau.

“It was a tremendous night, one that will always stay with me,” said Watson.

“I think it is the perfect example of one of the things I have always loved about the game.

“That although you might not have the talent of the team across from you, that if you give it your absolute all, then on any given day you have a chance to win.

“France had finished as the World Cup runners-up just a year before, beaten in a penalty shoot-out by Italy, but we went to Paris and we beat them.”

And that, Watson argued, should give the current Scotland team all the inspiration they need for a game in which they are rated as high as 7/1 AGAINST with the bookmakers to get a win.

“That is no huge surprise,” he said.

“You look at the expectation levels that surround England and they were always going to be firm, firm favourites for this one.

“They are at home and have a squad full of players who play for the biggest clubs and command the biggest transfer fees.

“Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard these guys would be household names pretty much anywhere you go.

“They are top-class players with loads of experience playing at the very top level of the game.

“England fans look at them starring in the Premier League and they can’t understand why the country doesn’t challenge for the World Cup and the European Championships.

“There is no question that Roy Hodgson has great talent available to him.

“But we are getting to the stage where we have plenty of guys playing in the English Premier as well,” Watson continued.

“And more and more of our players are key figures for the teams they represent.

“Look at Shaun Maloney. He was exceptional for Wigan Athletic last season and was often picked out as one of the best creative midfielders in the League.

“They ended up getting relegated (though they did win the FA Cup) but Shaun was very unfortunate, given the contribution he made.

“Robert Snodgrass was good for Norwich City, for who Russell Martin is also a regular and, when Steven Fletcher is fit, he is one of the best goalscorers in the League.

“There is no reason at all why we should go into this game with any kind of inferiority complex.”

If the Scotland squad are prepared to think back beyond Paris all the way to Watson’s own playing career, there are a couple of even more striking examples.

The 53-year-old was an industrious midfielder in the Aberdeen squad that won the European Cup-Winners’ Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson’s charge in 1983.

The trophy is gone now but the achievement of a group that managed to beat both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich en route to claiming the silverware grows more impressive.

“Ach, it seems a lifetime ago now, but it is an example of how far tenacity can get you,” said Watson.

“We had some great players but we also had an absolutely fantastic team spirit.

“We believed in ourselves as individuals and we believed in ourselves as a group.”

And that’s relevant because Gordon Strachan and Mark McGhee, two of the stars of the Dons team, are now in charge of the national side.

“They have been brought in to bring passion to the set-up and they are delivering,” said Watson.

“To take a team to Croatia one of the top teams in the world and win a competitive game at the start of June was an incredible achievement.

“Both guys have always been really positive and enthusiastic and you can see that influence in the team.”

Qualities which helped the Scot himself get back into work.

“I tried to stay as involved as I could and a meeting with Tony Coton saw my name passed on to Chris via Noel Blake,” he explained.

“We got together and hit it off straight away.

“I am really grateful to him for giving a chance to someone new and will give Notts County everything I’ve got.”

Watson’s effort is a given.

The kilt and the Braveheart impersonation for Wembley week come by way of a wee bonus.