Tartan Army signs up George Clooney as stars align for a World Cup thriller

George Clooney looks delighted on being presented with a Scotland shirt by Claire Phale, a 35-year-old from Edinburgh, who won a fundraising prize draw to meet him | Jeff Holmes/JSHPIX/Itison

As everyone who was alive in 1978 well knows, “Scotland is the greatest football team”. Andy Cameron’s stirring words in the famous World Cup song may be contested by those who take an overly literal approach to greatness, but the joyous exuberance of the Tartan Army is reason enough to make this claim.

So we are sure that no less a star than George Clooney – in Scotland to help raise money for Social Bite, the Edinburgh-based homelessness charity – will have been overjoyed to have been presented with personalised Scotland strips for himself, his wife Amal and their twins. They were a delightful gift from Claire Phale, a 35‑year‑old events manager who won a fundraising prize draw to have lunch with the actor.

A little Hollywood magic might just go a long way. And, who knows, if Scotland pull off a shock result or six, perhaps the Kentucky-born Clooney may find himself, like the late Robert Duvall in the 2000 film A Shot at Glory, playing a Scottish football manager in the tale of Andy Cameron’s – and all Scotland’s – dreams.