Leader comment: Tartan Army must invade France next year

Scotland are going to the World Cup! How long have we waited to hear those words? And, just like last time, it's in France.

World Cup bound: the victorious Scots flew into Edinburgh Airport yesterday

The women’s national football team arrived back in Scotland yesterday after achieving what the men have failed to do for two decades – qualify for the global tournament. Not only that but they did so by winning their group outright.

Too long has the Tartan Army been forced to languish in its barracks or make the odd brief foray into foreign lands, surely now is the time to embrace the moment, wage a full-blown campaign and show the world what it has been missing.

We should turn the Champs-Élysées into a sea of kilts, glengarries and see-you-Jimmy hats and win everyone over, just like we did the last time.

Given the World Cup will take place just a few months after Brexit – if everything goes as currently planned – it might just be a diplomatic masterstroke. Never underestimate the importance of ‘soft power’ and goodwill.

And it may also be a turning point for the women’s game in Scotland, putting it on a path to further glory.