Scotland girls’s return to main tournaments is “paramount” for the nation, says Leanne Crichton.
Pedro Martinez Losa’s Scots face Hungary over two legs in October and, if profitable, will tackle Montenegro of Finland for a spot in subsequent summer time’s Euro 2025 finals in Switzerland.
Crichton, capped 72 instances, was a part of Scotland’s squad at Euro 2017 and the 2019 World Cup earlier than retiring from worldwide responsibility in 2020. The nationwide staff missed out on the following two main finals.
“We have to get it again,” the midfielder advised BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound. “It is paramount, it is paramount for the nation as a result of in all probability solely as soon as I took myself out of the fold I actually understood and realised the influence that it had on the nation.
“Whenever you’re in it, you solely take into consideration the staff. You solely take into consideration your agenda and qualifying. What you do not realise is that with that comes additionally the prize cash and the way that drops down into Scottish soccer as a collective; how that impacts the followers and the supporters and their incentive and their want to be at video games.
“What they wish to see is groups performing on the highest stage, they wish to have these main tournaments to stay up for, the gamers want it as properly.”
Scotland progressed to the Euros play-offs after ending high of their qualifying group with 16 factors from a potential 18 earlier this month.
And Crichton mentioned of the Hungary and potential subsequent stage video games: “They’re winnable.
“They appear good and we are able to hope to study from earlier classes.
“For some gamers throughout the group, it could be their final crack at it as a result of there’s a couple of growing old gamers.”