For some, it was the look of disbelief on David Marshall’s face after he saved the decisive penalty in the shoot-out. For others, it was the conga round the tables back at the team hotel. Yet perhaps the most resonant reaction to Scotland qualifying for their first major finals since 1998 came from the man who scored their goal on that historic night in Serbia a year ago.
Ryan Christie was in tears as he gave a post-match interview, which showed how much it meant to a player born in Inverness, a heartland of the Tartan Army. “It’s for the whole nation,” he said. “I hope everyone back home is having a party tonight, because we deserve it. What we’ve been through. So many years — we know it, you know it, everyone knows it.”
Yet when the Euros arrived, Christie was only given a cameo by Steve Clarke. He played the first half of the first match against the Czech Republic, creating a good scoring chance that Andy Robertson scorned, but was replaced at half-time by Che Adams and not used at all against England and Croatia.
Perhaps having converted both Adams and Lyndon Dykes to Scotland’s cause, Clarke felt obliged to stand by them. Yet for those who prefer the brio that Christie brings to the heft of Adams and Dykes, the energy, pace and skill he supplies in spades, it was a baffling omission.
It was also a surprise to his admirers that, with his Celtic contract ticking to its conclusion and only a small price on his head in consequence, Bournemouth weren’t trumped by Premier League suitors when they signed him at the close of the last transfer window. Yet with Scott Parker’s side now top of the Championship, it has worked out well enough for Christie.
He had won every major honour in Scotland, the full set of League, Scottish Cup and League Cup, twice each at Celtic and also the Scottish Cup before leaving Inverness. Approaching what should prove the prime of his career, he wanted a change of scenery. “There were multiple reasons why I decided to move on, but the new challenge at different places was definitely one of them,” he says. “It’s been a breath of fresh air and I’m really relishing the football side of it.
“I try to promote Scottish football as much as I can to all the Bournemouth boys and nobody really knows much, but then I am actually quite surprised at how much I didn’t know about the Championship. I knew Stoke City had a big stadium, but then you visit places like Bristol City and it’s a massive ground. Although Scotland has some great stadiums, after all those years it’s nice to have a change.”
He’s even been called “Christiano” on Bournemouth’s Twitter account after an outrageous backheel flick in a game, a comparison that brings a laugh from Christie. “I don’t know where that came from, but I’ve been hammered for it by all the boys in the changing room,” he says. “I didn’t put much thought into it at the time.”
What he did put a great deal of thought into was his choice of club, and particularly manager. That has been vindicated by how much he has enjoyed playing for Parker.
“He’s been brilliant,” Christie says. “I spoke to him on the phone before I signed and I was impressed, but since then I’ve seen the way he takes training and the intensity he sets and been even more impressed. He played at the top level and has done really well as a manager. He’s so passionate. Every time he steps on to the training pitch you have to be right at it.”
Are there echoes of Brendan Rodgers, Celtic’s manager when Christie became a first-team regular after successful loan spells at Aberdeen? “Yeah, I’d say so, in terms of the kind of preparation and detail he puts into games. He’s very switched on. I like to have managers who are like that, in this day and age you need that. You need to be constantly performing. He’s more hands on than Brendan was at Celtic. You can see how he has done so well in his managerial career so far.”
Christie decided he wanted a fresh challenge before the appointment of Ange Postecoglou but enjoyed his short spell working under the Australian and stresses Celtic are in good hands. “Before I left I was able to get a wee taste of Ange’s training and I tried to be quite vocal about how much I enjoyed it and how good he was,” he says “The longer he stays in the job, the more successful Celtic will be. They have had some good results, good performances and some good results in Europe as well to keep them in the hunt. I’m keeping an eye out for all the boys I’m pally with up the road and hoping they do well.”
His dad, Charlie, a former Inverness player and manager, has made a couple of flying visits to see him play and has volunteered to drive down at some stage soon. “My dad hasn’t attempted the drive yet, but he’s offered a couple of times. He said, ‘Do you need anything brought down?’ and I’m thinking, ‘Are you wise?’ When I move to the new house I might take him up on the offer.”
The trip to Hampden tomorrow night should be less arduous for Christie’s family, although Kasper Hjulmand’s Denmark squad have already won the group emphatically to confirm their place at next year’s World Cup. “We saw a couple of trips ago just how strong Denmark are, particularly at home [Scotland lost 2-0 in Copenhagen]. Being at Hampden should help us this time but they are top seeds for a reason, you also saw how good they are at the Euros.”
For Scotland, the challenge is to show their Euros qualification can be more than an isolated achievement. “The World Cup is on everyone’s mind now,” Christie says. “The first thing we said when we met up for the Euros was that we wanted to do ourselves proud but we also said we didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder. We wanted to make that the benchmark, a regular thing that we qualify. We can’t just rest on things. We want to keep pushing.
“Getting to the World Cup is harder, but with the group we have, and how well we’re playing, we feel we can achieve it. We have a young vibe in this team and everyone is desperate to qualify again after the Euros.”