Lorimer Can See Scotland Qualifying

16 June 2011 12:59
Peter 'hot-shot' Lorimer thinks Craig Levein has what it takes to take Scotland to play with the big boys again Peter Lorimer believes Craig Levein is the man who can take the national side into a top tournament. Scotland are aiming to finish second behind Spain in EURO2010 Group I and earn a shot at the play-offs in a bid to book their place among the continent's best nations. Scotland have been out of luck in qualifying for major tournaments the 1998 World Cup in France under Craig Brown  Lorimer admits he is in the dark as to why the national team has spent so many years in the wilderness since then. The former Leeds favourite said: "I have no idea. It's a question I get asked every week - what's happened to Scotland? I don't have the answer. But if Craig can get the national team to keep playing the way they have been playing, with that bit of pride and passion, you can turn it around."  Asked what it takes to qualify for finals these days, Lorimer said: "You've got to have good players, that goes without saying. You've got to have top quality players. The pinnacle of my career was certainly the '74 World Cup and being involved with the squad of players we had at that time and the following we had. The Scottish fans are still fantastic, they are still there, but you do feel sorry for them at times. Over the last few years, they have been let down a little bit. The thing for any player is the passion of representing your country and doing well for your country and seeing the enjoyment you give the fans. That's something that's very special, we had that experience and it's something I'll never forget, that's for sure."  Lorimer played for Scotland at a time when the national team was made up of a number of star players. He added: "In those days to play for Scotland was a pleasure. With the amount of quality players who were around, it was great to be with them. There would be 130,000 at Hampden and when you went out there, you got that tingle. The bagpipes would be playing and the fans singing - it was an experience. You can play in cup finals and all sorts of games but the experience of playing in front of a full Hampden in those days, with the quality of players you were playing with, was fantastic. You genuinely felt that you could beat anybody in the world and that was probably the case."

Source: FOOTYMAD