Scots win Parisian hearts ... and le match!

The win, at the Parc-des-Princes stadium in Paris, the first on French soil for more than 50 years, was hailed as Scotland's best result of modern times.

Within minutes of the game ending Alex McLeish, the team manager, took a phone call from Gordon Brown.

According to Downing Street sources, the Prime Minister, who was watching the game at No 10, congratulated the manager, telling him: "It was the best game I can remember in all my time watching Scotland."

Alex Salmond, First Minister, who was watching the game at Bute House, his official residence in Edinburgh, said: "Tonight the team played an outstanding match - one of the best games in Scotland's football history. Well done to Alex and the lads. "There's an air of optimism sweeping the country."

The win, which was a repeat of the 1-0 victory over France in October last year at Hampden Park, came thanks to a 63rd goal from James McFadden.

The Everton player let fly with a strike from around 30 yards. Scotland then held off a determined French effort for the next 30 minutes to secure the win.

Stewart Maxwell, Scotland's sports Minister, said it was a "brilliant result".

"Our players have left everyone in Scotland feeling 10ft tall - well done Alex and his magnificent team," he said.

McLeish said after the match it was the best Scottish football result "of modern times. We weren't given a prayer and we have said that the team is not as gifted as other Scottish teams but we showed tonight that we can play football as well."

McLeish added: "We believed we could do it. We did say it would be a tough task.

"How many teams have come to Paris and beat the French? We can now put ourselves on a list of those who have done it."

Earlier in the evening thousands of Scots fans took the French capital by storm winning Parisian hearts and minds as they walked the six miles to the stadium waving saltires and escorted by pipe bands and drummers.