John Souttar aiming for ‘pinnacle’ of World Cup campaign with Scotland

Scotland defender John Souttar is the odd one out in his family when it comes to World Cup experiences.

And the Rangers defender is focused on getting the point Scotland will almost certainly need in Greece on Saturday to boost his hopes of catching up.

The 29-year-old watched on television as younger brother Harry impressed with Australia in Qatar in 2022.

The Leicester defender is on course for North America next summer as he nears the end of his recovery from a serious Achilles injury.

Other members of Souttar’s family were in Qatar and also in France in 1998 when Scotland last appeared on the biggest stage of international football.

The Rangers centre-back said: “Playing at the World Cup is the pinnacle for everyone. We’ve still got a long way to go to get there.

“Watching my brother do it a few years ago was amazing for me and my family to watch.

“Harry obviously loved it. All my family were over there and it was a proud moment for me watching him play in it, especially with how well he did.

“I didn’t make it over myself but the rest of the family was and it’s the pinnacle for any footballer. It’s what you dream about, going to a World Cup.”

The former Hearts and Dundee United player added: “My family went to the World Cup in ’98. My older brother, my dad and my uncle. It was a really big thing and I was always really conscious of that growing up.

“There were loads of pictures of it actually. Loads of folk from Brechin and the surrounding area all travelled to France for it. You grow up with it.

“I’ve not experienced it in my lifetime in terms of seeing Scotland in a World Cup, but everyone knows how big a deal it is.

“We are all well aware of how big these games are, but we can’t be too emotional about it. We need to be calm and stick to the game plan the gaffer lays out for us.

“We’ve all been working hard to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing.”