Former Dundee United striker Kevin Gallacher knows a fair bit about important goals in big games, having famously scored against Barcelona for the Tangerines on the way to the 1987 UEFA Cup final.
Gallacher also hit the back of the net nine times for Scotland during a long and successful career at international level that saw him capped 53 times.
The former striker, who starred for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United in the Premiership in England, also knows what it takes to get to major finals, having featured for Scotland in the good old days when the country reached the Euros in 1992 and 96, as well as the World Cup finals in France in 98.
That trip across the English Channel was, of course, the Scots’ last experience of the decisive stage of a championships.
Given the resurgence in form and optimism under the management of Gordon Strachan, hopes are high that a return to France for the Euro finals in 2016 is now a real possibility.
To have a chance, though, Gallacher feels victory over the Irish is essential.
“The Republic at home is a must-win game,” said Gallacher, who was speaking at the filming of the new Vauxhall Home Nations Football Show.
“In this qualification, I think you are going to have to win games like that to at least have a chance.
“I think Germany will only get better, Poland have started fantastically and then there’s the Republic of Ireland.
“We took a point in Poland but we’re at home for this one and I think it’s a must to take three points.”
World Cup winners Germany were expected to advance to the finals in France with ease, but their defeat by the Poles has made it more difficult not only for themselves, but for Scotland too.
“A spanner has been thrown in the works,” added the 47-year-old.
“It’s opened up what possibly could have been a two-team, maybe a three-team, campaign to a four-team campaign.
“You have to win your home games – it’s as simple as that.”
Gallacher will be excited by next Tuesday’s England contest and more so if Strachan’s men can beat a Republic side which includes Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, who turned their backs on Scotland to play for Ireland.
“As soon as you get the Republic of Ireland game out the way, I think the Scotland-England game will be even bigger,” Gallacher said.
“There is a worry at the moment that we would rather have the three points than win the England game, because it’s been a while since we qualified.
“Realistically, all your energy has got to focus on the Ireland game, not the England game.
“I’m more excited about the Ireland game at the moment.
“If we can have three points in the bag, then we’ll switch to the England game and I will become even more excited; the atmosphere at Celtic Park will turn up a notch.”