Rangers star John Souttar was named Player of the Match as Scotland held Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the UEFA Nations League at Hampden.
The Ibrox centre-back, 28, was tasked with keeping the great man quiet in Glasgow and put in a confidence-boosting display on his second straight start for the national side.
With Souttar having earned plaudits for his display in the defeat to Croatia, the Rangers defender kept his place for the visit of Portugal.
And John Souttar played a crucial role as Scotland recorded their first point of the UEFA Nations League campaign with a 0-0 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo & co.
John Souttar ‘handled’ Cristiano Ronaldo
Such was the quality of John Souttar’s performance against Portugal, the Rangers defender was named Player of the Match by the Scotland national team.
The Ibrox defender put in a series of heroic blocks and actions in a composed performance which also showcased Souttar’s increasing confidence on the ball.
Winning 100% of his tackles, ground duels and aerial duels, no player had more clearances than the nine the Rangers star had in the match.
Also blocking two shots and boasting a pass completion rate of 84%, it was a monumental night for John Souttar who has staked his claim for a starting berth going forward.
The performance has also caught the eye of many in the Scottish press, who lauded John Souttar for his display come full-time.
Souttar was hailed for his role in keeping Manchester United and Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo quiet at Hampden.
The legendary striker, 39, now plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and couldn’t add to his record-breaking haul of 133 goals for the Portuguese national team.
According to the Scotsman, who gave Souttar a 9/10 for his performance in Glasgow, the defender ‘won the majority of his headers and kept Portugal at bay despite constant pressure from their star-studded frontline’.
That’s a view echoed by the Daily Mail, who claim the 8/10 Rangers star ‘kept Ronaldo relatively quiet all night’ whilst Souttar was also ‘strong in the air and made a few key blocks’.
The Edinburgh Evening News also gave Souttar an 8/10 and claim the ex-Hearts defender ‘handled the pressure of dealing with Ronaldo remarkably well’.
Modest Rangers star hails Scotland teammate
John Souttar also spoke to the Scotland media team come full-time after being awarded Player of the Match v Portugal.
The Rangers centre-back has hailed his teammates for ‘digging deep’ amid a Portugal onslaught and earning a vital draw after a run of three straight defeats.
The Ibrox star also singled out goalkeeper Craig Gordon as playing a crucial role in the point after the Hearts goalie made a superb late stop from a Bruno Fernandes effort.
“I think we has dig deep at times,” said Souttar, who earned his 11th cap against Portugal at Hampden.
“I think especially second half when they were putting pressure on it was important we kept the ball, and in spells we did do that.
“Not so much second half, but we had chances on the break and it shows our togetherness.
“I think we deserved it over the last four games. We’ve been unlucky. I think we deserved that tonight.
“These are top teams, the best teams in Europe if not the world, so it’s always going to be a big test.
“But I thought we performed well today to a man.
“Mentally you need to stay switched on the whole time because these are top players and if you switch off for a second it’s a goal.
“I think we had a massive save from Craig Gordon tonight.
“It was an incredible save. I’ve not seen it back but in real time it looked unbelievable so it’s going to need moments like that and thankfully we’ve for a top quality keeper that can do that.”
