Alex McLeish watched Scott McTominay outclass Italian maestro Marco Verratti as Manchester United eliminated Paris Saint-Germain from the Champions League.
And the Scotland boss now wants to see some of that swagger against Kazakhstan and San Marino in this week's Euro 2020 qualifying double header.
Promoted by Jose Mourinho, the midfielder was presented with a straight choice between playing for England or the land of his father.
Alex McLeish watched Scott McTominay outclass Italian maestro Marco Verratti last week
While the Tartan Army convinced themselves they'd landed the next Denis Law, reality failed to live up to the hype.
After five caps, the 22-year-old has yet to live up to the expectations placed on a Manchester United player.
However, an outstanding display against the French aristocrats in Europe's premier club competition has Big Eck crossing his fingers that might be about to change.
'When Darren Fletcher came into the Scotland team everyone was asking: "Why is he not playing like George Best?"
'That was just because he played for Man United. We have to remember that there are certain types of players and they need to be cogs fitting into the wheel.
'We believe Scott has a good future for club and country - and that performance against PSG suggests that swagger might be there.
'That kind of performance should give him added swagger and belief in himself. There is loads the big guy can improve on.
'He is still a young guy learning the game and he'll be looking at videos of the heroes of the past.
'He can certainly ping the ball but can he caress it the same as a (Paul Scholes or a (Roy) Keane when the time is needed for that?
'The big guy is learning all the time and it's great to see him coming through in the PSG game as he did against Verratti.' Quick, creative and agile, Verratti has become a mainstay of the Italian national team at 26 and a multiple title winner in France. McTominay, McLeish believes, has what it takes to reach the same level.
The Scotland boss now wants to see some of that swagger against Kazakhstan and San Marino
'Verratti is a world-class player and to mess him about and get the wee guy rattled was the performance of a veteran,' he said. 'I think Nemanja Matic has been a big influence on him as well, playing in a similar position.
'The games McTominay has played in over the
