So why have they shown such belief in a young Scot with only 50 first-team appearances to his name, and not a single one in European competition? After all, Scottish players are supposed to lack the technique required to play at the highest level, right? Not Gauld.

He was given his debut at the end of the 2011-12 season as a substitute in a 2-0 win over Motherwell by former manager Peter Houston, but it was under Jackie McNamara that Gauld thrived. Throwing him in at the deep end and making him a regular starter as part of the Terrors’ exciting front four, it was clear very early on that he was a player with skill, awareness and boundless potential on the pitch.

[…]For a couple of months in late 2013, he was almost unstoppable, and in one game managed to set up four goals for his team-mates. The technique and range of passing he displayed […]was that of a player destined for far bigger things, and in December of that year, McNamara told the press that Gauld had the potential to become a “massive star” for the national team and a “British Great”.