International breaks can be tedious affairs, even for Rangers fans who have little to look forward to on the other side.
The Europa League keeps the season going for a little while longer although La Liga cracks Athletic Club Bilbao might prove a step too far – not that interim Rangers manager Barry Ferguson will be lying down anytime soon after outsmarting Jose Mourinho.
There are 11 Rangers players on international duty to keep an eye on, an every increasing number that shows recruitment is heading in the right direction.
Belgium picking Nicolas Raskin is a bonus, especially as it sees £11m Celtic signing Arne Engels miss out, with Morocco calling up Hamza Igamane for his first senior appearance.
The hope, is that they can emulate the international stars of the past and, maybe, have moments like the one Ally McCoist had for Scotland in 1995.
Scotland vs Greece: Ally McCoist the Hampden hero
A tantalising European Championships in England made qualifying a must for Craig Brown, as well as the hopeful Tartan Army, given how easily a major tournament could be accessed south of the border.
An awkward group that saw Russia joined by Finland and Greece meant that there was going to be a tight race for the top two spots.
San Marino and the Faroe Islands making up the numbers.
In the penultimate round of fixtures, Scotland played Greece, as they do in the current international set of games.
Scotland were on 17 points, Greece, 15.
As he did so often for Rangers, when a hero was needed, up stepped McCoist.
Bizarrely, Darren Jackson and Duncan Shearer started upfront for Scotland with McCoist joined on the bench by John Robertson.
Anyone of a certain age will tell you the problem with this.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, a throw in from the right-hand side saw John Collins whip an in-swinging cross into the box with his trusty left foot.
On the other end, was McCoist, stretching every sinew in his neck to glance the ball into the far corner.
Scotland 1 – 0 Greece.
McCoist, Gazza and Euro ‘96
Scotland would qualify comfortably in the end after this win and would be rewarded with a group featuring England, the Netherlands and Switzerland in the Euros.
Paul Gascoigne tormented his Rangers teammates before, during and after, as he showed the continent that they were wrong to doubt his ability after an injury hit spell in Italy.
The mercurial Geordie was inches away from putting England into a final that they would probably have won.
McCoist, however, would be little more than an impact substitute, his 25-yard strike against Switzerland would be his country’s only goal in England.
Maybe, just maybe, picking your best goalscorer is a better idea than players who can run a little further, or a little bit faster.
