Scotland manager Steve Clarke took huge satisfaction in handing Aberdeen defender Andy Considine a long-awaited national team debut.
Considine was pitched into Clarke’s backline for Scotland’s 1-0 Nations League victory over Slovakia at Hampden Park on Sunday, having been a late inclusion in the squad during the weekend.
The 33-year-old has been a mainstay for the Dons, making 527 appearances since being handed his debut against Dundee in 2004.
Clarke revealed Considine’s familiarity with playing in a back-three, due to Reds boss Derek McInnes playing a similar system this season, was a major factor in his selection.
The Scotland manager says Banchory-born Considine justified his faith, and he said: “It is always nice with someone like Andrew. I think he has played close on 600 games for Aberdeen, he’s 33 years of age and got his first call up for the international squad.
“He probably thought he was coming in as cover for someone. Liam Cooper did not recover from injury from Thursday night, and Andy got on the pitch.
“When you think first cap, first game, first win – it was a fantastic night for him and thoroughly deserved.
“Andy was good at the back. There wasn’t a weakness – I thought the team was good, the shape was good.
They made the system work, which is really important for us.”
Considine helped the Scots record a second successive clean sheet, following Thursday’s Euro 2020 play-off semi final victory over Israel.
Former Kilmarnock boss Clarke feels a solid defensive foundation is key to the Scots’ hopes of success, adding: “If you defend well you don’t concede many chances and you don’t concede goals for sure.
“You always have a chance to win the games we proved that one shot on target is enough if you keep a clean sheet.
“I know everybody will say we only had one shot on target again, but we created more chances on Sunday and got into more threatening positions.
“Obviously we would like to have more shots on target, we would like to have more goals.
“But if you look over the last two games it’s one shot on target in two games and we’ve qualified for a play-off final and picked up three points. We are doing something right.”
Scotland host Czech Republic in their third home match in the space of seven days tomorrow, with the opportunity to open up a four-point gap at the top of section B2 with a victory.
With the Nations League opening up a potential pathway for the Scots to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Clarke is eager to make the most of the opportunity that awaits his side.
Clarke added: “It is another avenue. I think we realise the value of the Nations League because it is an avenue that has given us the chance to play Serbia in a play off final.
“It is a competition when we went into the B section we looked at it, we looked at the group and we are determined to give a good account of ourselves.
“We are determined to finish this month top of the section.”