Scott Brown backs Scotland to use Rodri 'rubbish' claim as fuel to pull off one of the 'greatest results ever'

Scott Brown believes Scotland can pull off "one of the greatest results ever" and beat Spain in their own back yard to secure qualification for Euro 2024.

Scotland need just a point to qualify for next summer’s Euros after winning all five of their opening matches, including a memorable 2-0 home win over the 2010 World Cup winners. La Roja were rattled after their Hampden humbling, with Manchester City midfielder Rodri accusing their hosts of "rubbish" football. Brown has encouraged Steve Clarke’s side to use those comments as motivation ahead of Thursday's encounter, but has warned them not to overstep the mark.

“It doesn't matter how you play, sometimes you have to get that tackle in and set the tone,” said Brown, who will star in a testimonial for former Hibs star David Gray this weekend. "At other times you have fantastic players like Callum McGregor and John McGinn who can get on the ball and control the game, which I thought is what they did against Spain at times.

“Spain are a top quality team and will have their own fans behind them but you’ve still got to fancy Scotland any time these days. Those remarks will rile them up, but they need to make sure they keep their heads and not be rash going down into tackles because that's what the Spanish want. They want a man sent off or booked early so you can’t play your normal game, which is rich coming from myself, but that’s what you’ve got to do – defend as a group and be a unit the whole game. If they can win, it would be up there as one of the greatest results ever.”

With Scotland failing to qualify for major international tournaments between 1998 and 2020, Brown never had the chance to represent his country on the biggest stages. He believes that reconnecting the