John McGinn in Scotland 'threw it away' admission as he demands stars take out World Cup fury on Armenia

John McGinn admits Scotland were left with a Nations League hangover last time round after getting giddy on the high of their Serbian shoot-out success.

Now the Tartan Army favourite hopes the competition can offer up the country a much-needed curer as we struggle to shake off last week’s sobering World Cup exit.

Scotland have had mixed fortunes when it comes to UEFA’s latest international tournament.

The 2018-19 edition offered up a back-door pass to Euro 2020, an opening Steve Clarke ’s side took when they sent Serbia spinning on spot-kicks on that famous night in Belgrade.

That play-off final was delayed six months because of the Covid pandemic, meaning it was rescheduled just days before the Scots rounded off their 2020-21 Nations League campaign away to Slovakia and Israel.

Still drunk with the euphoria of reaching the nation’s first major tournament since 1998, Scotland's party mood after their boozy Belgrade celebrations was shattered as back to back defeats denied them top spot in their group and a guaranteed World Cup play-off place.

Clarke’s team went on to fight their way through to semi-finals by the traditional qualifying route before Ukraine dashed their Qatar dream.

A week on from that heartbreaking ending, the Scots must now pick themselves up again as they gear up for the start of the latest Nations League against Armenia tonight.

And Aston Villa ace McGinn has warned his side cannot afford to spill another opportunity with a wild card slot yet again on offer for Euro 2024.

Looking back on that night in Serbia, he said: “The celebrations were obviously huge at that point. We maybe got a bit too high after that, which was understandable.

“But we threw away the Nations League group at that point.

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