TWENTY years on and Gary McAllister still cannot escape Wembley, the missed penalty and the ball that inexplicably moved. “That’s something I have to live with. I still get wee flashbacks about it,” he says, smiling as he jokingly contorts with the agony of the recollection.

McAllister achieved so much for both club and country that he does not deserve to have memories of his playing career condensed down to a solitary moment. And yet, ahead of another England versus Scotland match-up at Wembley this Friday, the penalty that was saved by England’s David Seaman during Euro ’96 remains as much a talking point now as it was back then.

Some are happier than others for it to remain a topical source of conversation. McAllister, sportingly, does not shy away from speaking about the incident, although unlike some – including caretaker England boss Gareth Southgate – he has never tried to make a commercial gain from his misfortune from 12 yards.

Others have been even more blatant in their attempts to exploit the situation. For two decades now Uri Geller, the spoon-bending eccentric, has claimed that it was he who moved the ball using only the power of his mind just as McAllister was about to strike it, causing the ball to sit up thus making the save easier for Seaman. Geller, it seems, is as handy with Google alerts as he is with psychokinesis and wasn’t slow to contact McAllister when word reached him that a conversation about the penalty had cropped up again in the summer. Now Geller is offering to make up for his apparent transgressions at Wembley 20 years ago.

“I had been doing a few bits and pieces [in the media] before the Euros this summer so Uri Geller must have people looking out for his name,” said McAllister. “I was doing something with an Italian magazine when my penalty miss came up and I mentioned Geller. And then he text me.

“When people ask you about the best name on your mobile he’s in mine. He wrote: 'Hi Gary. Uri Geller here. I read you mentioned me. Look, I’m willing to motivate and inspire your team to win. This way I can give you back what I took away to be equal.' He’s still convinced he moved the ball at Wembley. I’ve not mentioned this yet to Gordon [Strachan] but we’ll look out for moving balls in the game on Friday!”

McAllister’s miss formed part of a typically Scottish summer, one in which anticipation and promise fizzled out in the most anti-climactic fashion. Having secured a goalless draw in their opening group game with the Dutch, Scotland were trailing England by a goal to nil but in the ascendancy when they were awarded a penalty. McAllister’s shot was saved and England compounded the disappointment when Paul Gascoigne scored a stunning second goal. Even then Scotland’s misery wasn’t complete, a late Patrick Kluivert consolation goal against England in the final match sending the Dutch through at Scotland’s expense.

“It was a great game to be involved in, the middle match of a tough group,” recalled McAllister. “It always comes down to the penalty miss. That will never go away. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I had scored we would have won as it was in a period of the game when we were in the ascendancy. Allied with the draw against Holland and the win over Switzerland we would have been through. But I missed the penalty and we never really recovered. Gazza scores the dentist chair goal [named after the subsequent celebrations] and that was it. We did everything to get the goals against Switzerland [in the final match] and then Kluivert scores for Holland against England and we’re out. That was typical of Scotland at a major tournament.”

At least they were still qualifying in those days. Two years after Euro ’96, Scotland reached the World Cup and then the trail ran dry. Strachan’s side are already up against it in this qualifying campaign and must realistically win at Wembley if they are to have any chance of making it to Russia for the World Cup finals in two years’ time. McAllister takes some comfort from the fact that England are not in a great place just now either.

“I live south of the border and England aren’t playing well,” he said. “Confidence isn’t high there either. So it’s two teams who maybe aren’t playing particularly well. On paper England look as good as anyone in the world right through the team. But when they come together it doesn’t seem too happen for them and nobody can really put their finger on why. They’ve tried different types of managers; foreigners, Kevin Keegan who was the people’s man, they’ve had tacticians – and they’ve always underachieved.

“It makes it a bit frustrating that we’re not going there in a stronger position. It would have been great if we were going there buoyant and not off the back of two disappointing results. But I’m sure there will be a reaction from Gordon and the players. We go there as underdogs but we’ll definitely up our game. We’ve got players good enough on their day.

“At Wembley they need to be brave and show that character to get on the ball and make passes. We’re not a big, physical side, we are a side with guys that can handle the ball so we need to get the ball first and foremost. If we can get a result against England, and then England go and win their other games, then it’s up to us. We’re capable of beating the other teams in the group.”

McAllister knows Strachan well, a legacy from their playing days together at Leeds United and Coventry City as well as with the national team. He admits his friend is hurting following recent poor results against Lithuania and Slovakia, but that there is nobody more determined to try to turn the situation around.

“Gordon’s a bad loser. I played with him for six years at Leeds and he didn’t like even losing in the 5-a-side on a Friday night morning. He’s hurting, that’s obvious, but he’s really embraced this job. He’s really comfortable in this role as Scotland manager. He enjoys the fact that he can spend time with his family and the job isn’t every day of every week. So when they meet up he can’t wait to get going again.

“After the wait since the last two games, he’s itching to get the lads back together again to put things right. Those were two disappointing results and you can’t hide from that. I know Gordon well and I can tell just by his face what he’s going through. But he is enjoying this job. It’s a big honour to manage your country.”

- Gary McAllister was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is a proud sponsor of the Scotland national team.