Gordon Smith fired off so many superlatives he could have been back in his BBC punditry chair. The chief executive of the SFA made no apology for his outpouring of emotion after Scotland's phenomenal 1-0 win against France on Wednesday night.
It made a refreshing change from the normally sedate celebrations of starchy administrators. In a few staccato sentences, Smith described Scotland's feats as "amazing", "marvellous", "terrific", "magnificent" and "incredible". He could have gone on for longer but he, along with every other member of the Tartan Army, had become breathless with it all.
At the time of his appointment, Smith revealed he would be taking a financial hit' by swopping his agency and media work for the thankless remit of chief executive. The rewards may yet prove priceless. Frankly, he and George Peat, the new president, could conceivably be key influences in a new golden age for the national team.
Scotland's world ranking will continue to soar on the back of this win and reaching their first major championships in a decade is now a serious possibility.
Smith has already proven more popular, lucid and street-savvy than his predecessor, David Taylor, and last night he urged the continuation of the feel-good factor that has gripped the nation. "It was an amazing result," he said. "To beat France home and away is just amazing. It is a marvellous boost for the country, not just a boost for Scottish football; the people in Scotland will love it.
"It was very much a backs-to-the-wall performance but when the goal went in you started to get a bit of belief and it was incredible that we managed to get a win."
The possibility of reaching Euro 2008 is now tantalisingly close; a remarkable turnaround for a side consigned to the fourth seeding pot when the draw was made. "We are in a position where we can qualify," said Smith. "We are in one of the hardest groups. When the draw was announced, we probably felt we had no chance of getting through with Italy, France and Ukraine, who all performed well at the World Cup obviously, in our section.
"And yet, here we are, not only hanging in there but we are getting some incredible results. It was a terrific performance, the players worked their socks off and they couldn't have put any more in to the game."
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