The red stripe has long since faded, the pony tail no longer is flapping in his wake. Even memories of THAT goal in a certain Parisian suburb are already beginning to grow vague in his mind's eye, while yet another year is set to roll round since a last cap was thrown on a fairly substantial heap.

Indeed, the mature figure of James McFadden that walked around a deserted Hampden Park yesterday is far from the gallus young man that blazed a spectacular trail across it in dark blue.

Thirteen years have somehow flown in since his moment of genius on that very patch of grass earned Scotland a 1-0 European Championship play-off win over Holland.

Read more: James McFadden: Move to Germany can help Oliver Burke become a Scotland starThe Herald: 28/07/16 .  FIR PARK .  Motherwell assistant manager James McFadden.

But, perhaps more importantly, it is the six that have trundled by since his last appearance for his country as he was hooked at half-time during a telling night against Lichtenstein that carry much more significance.

It is with this passing of time that McFadden can not just fully appreciate what represented the golden moments of his playing career, but what they still mean to him as he now accepts his time as an international footballer are behind him.

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During his time with Scotland McFadden earned 48 caps, just two shy of qualifying for the Hall of Fame. It is a goal missed that he admits doesn't take the shine off an international career of incredible highs - and a fair handful of lows - as the little red-striped kid inside hopes that one day the phone may ring again.

"I won't ever retire because you never know, do you? There could be a good spate of 50 or 60 injuries," laughed McFadden. "There might be nobody else left.

"Our manager at Motherwell [Mark McGhee] is the Scotland assistant manager so if I can go and play 10 or 20 games - and I think I've done well enough - then I'm going to say to him 'give wee Gordon a ring and tell him I'm alright, by the way!' That's just the way I am and I'll never change.

"I'd never say 'that's it done.' I won't play for Scotland again, we all know that, but I wouldn't ever say I'd retired because you never know."The Herald: Scotland hero James McFadden and his team-mates will enjoy  world-class facilities

From that position, McFadden voices his concerns over a former international team-mate who has voluntarily brought his time with Scotland to an early conclusion. Earlier this month Celtic captain Scott Brown announced that he had made the difficult decision at the age of 31 to remove himself from the selection process for future squads in order to prolong his club career.

It is a call that the Motherwell man believes that in the fullness of time is one the former Scotland skipper may well regret.

"I can understand why he's done it but at the same time he's 31, he could have, and probably should have, had another campaign in him," said McFadden. "I know what it's like not to play for your country.

"Listen, I know Broony - he's a great guy - but I think in a year or two down the line he might think he probably should have played on. I was speaking to our gaffer about it the other day and he says he's not retired from international football!

"You maybe just don't realise how good it is. There are a lot of bad sides in terms of being away for days on end and it can be quite boring.

"But once you don't turn up - and you have time off - then I'd say that's really boring. You find you have nothing to do and you're sitting watching the games wishing you were part of it. I just think further down the line he'll, not regret it, but think back and think it was maybe a wee bit too soon."

"As long as your country needs you, then you should be available. Unless you're struggling with injuries and you need to go and earn a living then that's different. Turing up for every international without having a break will affect how you play.

"But for me you should always be available.

"I think he's a massive loss, obviously being the captain, and I wish he stayed on for another campaign at least."

Now back at where his playing career first began, the man who now performs a dual playing and coaching role at Motherwell looks back with pride not at an international career that should have offered more caps to the hero of the Tartan Army, but one that he will forever value for delivering the moments that it did.

The 33-year-old confesses he spends most of his time having his finest moment retold to him by others, reciting with forensic detail exactly how they watched him beat Mickael Landreau from 35 yards at the Parc des Princes nine years ago. Regardless, it is these memories that not only make him proud of what he achieved with Scotland, but make him hopeful for the future of the current lot.

"When I think about it now it's not like I'm reliving a memory. Because so many people speak to me about games and goals saying 'I remember this or I remember that,' I start thinking about it the way somebody else has described it," he explained.

"At the time that's my job and I'm there to do it. It's obviously a brilliant feeling but that's what I'm supposed to do. You don't get it.

"I get people coming up to me all the time. There must have been 100,000 Scotland fans in the Parc des Princes that night. Everywhere I go I have people saying: 'I was there,' so the place must have been full.

"My oldest boy is now 10 and he's really into football. He'll look through stuff and say 'I canny believe you did that, you were actually good, dad.'

"I just say 'aye, I was no bad, pal.'"

Aye, no bad at all.

*James McFadden was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is a proud sponsor of the Scotland national team.