Colin Hendry lifts lid on the Scotland World Cup 'masterstroke' as Braveheart relives France 98 Brazil opener

It might have been a quarter of a century ago but to Colin Hendry it seems just like yesterday.

Well, you’re not likely to forget the biggest match of your career are you? Certainly, the passage of time hasn’t clouded the memory of the man who is now 57 but at the time was at the peak of his physical and playing powers. And he had to be. Hendry was about to go toe to toe with Ronaldo - not the preening peacock currently strutting around Saudi, but the original version; the best player on the planet and the star of the reigning champions, whom fate had decreed would begin the defence of their crown against Scotland in the Stade de France as the 1998 World Cup got under way.

The world had watched Hendry leading his team onto the pitch 90 minutes before kick-off in full Highland regalia. He was nicknamed Braveheart and all that was missing from his craggy features was the woad.

But when the time came for the ball to come out, Hendry and Co might have worried about what to follow against the Samba superstars ... until manager Craig Brown took over. “It was a ridiculous day, I mean from start to finish,” recalled Hendry on the latest Record Sport Off The Record podcast.

“We were on the coach heading to the stadium,probably about four or five hours prior to kick-off. Obviously with it being the opening game of the World Cup there was all the razzmatazz and all the show before it.

“So we were there quite early, but the streets and the stadium were practically full. The masterstroke of it all initially was that between the players and the SFA, we were wearing the kilt.

“So we were all in our kilts walking out. Listen, you can go on about Braveheart and that stuff, Bannockburn. Well I thought to myself, ‘This is me, I’m right at