Andy Robertson will earn his 100th cap for Scotland against North Macedonia in Skopje on Saturday, and new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli is convinced the captain has many more to come.
The 32-year-old Tottenham defender is set to surpass Kenny Dalglish as the country's all-time record appearance holder during the November international break. Pocognoli, who took over from Steve Clarke at Hampden, insists Robertson has been vital in smoothing the transition between managers.
Pocognoli hails captain's influence
Pocognoli said: "Andy is a great captain. From the first day, he has been important for me, as he was for the previous coach. He is really committed to creating a connection between the coaching staff and the players. He is always giving his best and is very proud to represent Scotland every time."
"He is really important for all of us here. You need all the leaders to reflect what happened on the pitch on Tuesday night realistically. We need to balance emotions when the disappointment is high. Because that could maybe lead to a bad feeling going to Macedonia, but that is not the case. We need the leaders to maintain the feeling."
Robertson has been one of the better performers in Pocognoli's first two games, alongside comeback striker Oli McBurnie. The Hull City forward should have scored against Slovenia and was left isolated at Hampden when his strike partner Kieron Bowie was subbed off following Grant Hanley's red card in the 3-0 defeat to Switzerland.
McBurnie impresses on recall
McBurnie has justified his recall into the Scotland squad after a five-year absence. Pocognoli praised the 30-year-old's bravery and work-rate.
He said: "He did well against Switzerland. But he was so low on the pitch and in defence a lot. He had to cover a lot of work for the midfielders. It was the idea to use him in that context and he did great. But sometimes he was actually too brave for the press because he was really pressing on both sides."
Bowie was gutted at being taken off early after impressing in Slovenia, lasting just 12 minutes as the manager was forced into a tactical reshuffle with 10 men. Pocognoli insists it wasn't a slight on the 24-year-old but says he's not certain of his place against North Macedonia.
Pocognoli refuses to be derailed
Pocognoli said: "He understood it (getting taken off). He was excited to start but he knows it was not a punishment. We had to consolidate the defence because we were playing a good team. We could maybe have played 4-4-1, but I didn't think it would be a good idea to do that."
It's been an indifferent start for Pocognoli as he still searches for his first win and goal as Scotland gaffer, but he's refusing to let the heavy Swiss defeat derail him and doesn't expect the Tartan Army to judge him on one game. He said: "I think the fans were realistic about what happened on the pitch on Tuesday. Everybody felt the disappointment."
