Goal scorer Christophe Berra admitted he was just delighted to pull on a Scotland jersey again never mind net the winner against Northern Ireland last night.
The big Ipswich defender’s determination to get ahead of his marker five minutes from time was enough to finally break the visitors’ stubborn resistance, and it was a goal the 30-year-old will relish in his first game for his country since 2013.
“It was good to get a goal,” he stressed. “That was my first Scotland appearance in a long time and it meant a lot to get 45 minutes.
“To also score a goal was even better. I’d almost scored from a corner five minutes before the goal when I had a header at the front post.
“I maybe should have done better. I said to Matt (Ritchie) to hang it up a bit and it was there to go and attack.
“I stuck my head on it and thankfully it went into the back of the net. It’s my third goal for Scotland and my sixth of the season.
“And as a defender, it’s good to add goals to my name. But it does mean a lot to play for Scotland again because I’ve worked hard for it.
“I’ve been playing well for Ipswich and got fans’ Player of the Year last season. All I can do is play well for my club, I feel I have been.
“I dropped out of the Scotland team a wee while back when things weren’t going well at Wolves.
“The boys came in, have done well and they have kept their place. So I can’t complain really.
“International games only come along once in a while and it’s very hard to get back in.
“The manager has a settled team and it’s not like you have 40 or 50 games where you can chop and change.”
Berra knows he faces a fight to retain a starting jersey with Scotland’s defence playing well of late.
“I heard someone say on the radio recently that Hanley and Martin are maybe not the most fashionable,” he added.
“But I don’t know what people are talking about. The defenders are there to do a job and they’ve done a great job.
“It’s about keeping clean sheets and blocking shots. It’s not about dribbling the ball it’s about being solid.
“You do your job first and foremost and then you play. Under the manager the defence has done well.
“At the moment, I am down the pecking order. Everyone can see that. I just have to be patient and do well at Ipswich.
“If I do that, maybe my chance will come again one day. At the moment, there are people ahead of me.”