Jamie Murphy admits he will be disappointed not to win Scotland cap - and recalls being sunk by Paul Scholes

The Albion winger will be supporting his national team from afar tonight, just as he did as a ten-year-old the night they won but lost at Wembley.

Murphy was taken by his dad to a packed Hampden Park for a European Championship play-off against England in 1999.

The Murphys were among the Scots silenced by two goals from Paul Scholes in the first leg of a tussle to decide who would go to the following summer’s Euros in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Paul Scholes scores - with a young Jamie Murphy in the crowd somewhere

But hope returned in the second leg when Don Hutchinson headed home at Wembley.

The midfielder beat David Seaman and ran behind the goal to celebrate with a gaggle of Scotland substitutes which included current Seagulls assistant boss Colin Calderwood.

That, though, was as far it went for the Scots as Kevin Keegan’s England progressed to a tournament to which they ultimately contributed very little.

So near and yet so far as the Murphys turned the TV off in their Glasgow home that night.

Which has pretty much been the story for the now grown-up winger as he strives to fulfil a major career goal.

Out of the picture for a while, he was offered his Don Hutchinson moment of renewed hope when he was called to the squad to face Denmark and the Czech Republic in March – but the door is shut again for now.

Jamie Murphy scores at Bristol City last week

Murphy told The Argus: “I will be disappointed in my career if I don’t go on to win a senior Scotland cap.

“I’ve not spoken to them in a while. The last time was when I got called up to the squad but I never got my cap. That was eight months ago.

“The senior squad is definitely an aim. It is something I have aimed for for a long time. All I can do is my best. If I’m noticed, great. If I’m not, it is up to me to do more.”

Oliver Burke, who recently left Nottingham Forest for Bundesliga sensations RB Leipzig, is the Scottish fans’ choice to play wide on the left tonight according to a poll of visitors to the Daily Record’s website this week.

Ikechi Anya of Derby is also a speedy left-sided option and right-wing choices include Robert Snodgrass and Matt Ritchie.

Which underlines two things. Firstly, it is very realistic for a good Championship regular to start matches of this importance for Gordon Strachan’s side.

And, secondly, there could be a vacancy for a specialist left-winger given that Burke prefers to play on the right.

Craig Brown, the Scotland boss for that double-header in 1999, told The Argus earlier this year he would love to see Murphy, who he managed at Motherwell, earn a cap.

Matt Ritchie has become a Scotland regular

He likened the direct style of the Albion man to former Scotland forward Paul Sturrock. That direct approach was in evidence at Bristol City last Saturday as he took the shortest possible route on a few occasions to outflank the home defence.

The performance included a goal and led to those questions about national recognition from the media.

In the meantime, he believes the Scots could grab an away win tonight.

He said: “Any team has got a chance in any game. England at Wembley is one of the tougher games that you could get but we have seen the history of these games. Sometimes results go the way you don’t expect.

“I remember my dad getting us tickets for the home game when Paul Scholes scored twice and watching on TV when Don Hutchinson scored.

“We were the better side that night at Wembley. Those are the games you remember. So Scotland can definitely do it.”