He normally turns out for St. Johnstone in the Scottish League.

But perhaps more high profile are Marvin Andrews, a big, strapping centre-half who became a cult figure at Glasgow Rangers, playing for them in the Champions League in the season just past.

Unfortunately he turned an ankle in training and missed the opening game.

Then there is the charismatic and brilliant, if ageing, Russell Latapy, now with Falkirk in the lower leagues, but formerly with Hibernian in Edinburgh, where my son used to see him on the nightclub circuit.

He is also a great mate of that party animal and TnT skipper, Dwight Yorke, who had a stellar season with Australian A-League champion Sydney FC.

So there is plenty to keep the Scots interested and no doubt there were many glasses raised to the Soca Warriors, as Trinidad and Tobago, like to be called, when they managed to hold the might of Sweden to a scoreless draw in the opening game yesterday.

Mind you, that result probably makes it a great deal easier for England to qualify for the later stages of the tournament since it beat Paraguay 1-0, thanks to an own goal from a diverted David Beckham free kick.

Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker, a mate of Guus Hiddinks and formerly with Ajax and Real Madrid, thought the result was one of the greatest of his career and his exciting and excitable team went into its match with England with no fears.

What made the draw more remarkable was that TnT played most of the second half with 10 men after defender Avery John was sent off.

The Soca Warriors rode their luck and good luck to them.