It's a Wiseman who knows the score with Gibraltar . . .

"I would have to say the Germany game, when we were playing against the World Champions, was the best moment so far," Wiseman told Herald Sport. "I didn't exactly have to pinch myself but there was a moment when we got our first corner of the match and myself and big Dave Artell, the centre half, were coming up for the corner. Thomas Muller was coming back with us and he was laughing. He was saying 'This is your chance! This is your chance'. It was a nice moment on a big occasion like that, that he was still prepared to take the mick."

Muller went on to score two of the goals on the night, with Mario Gotze chipping in with another, before an own goal from the luckless Yogan Santos, of the Manchester 62 club, completed the scoring. As creditable as the result was, it left the Gibraltarians still searching for a competitive point or goal as a new football nation, either of which would be regarded as something of an embarrassment should they arrive against Scotland.

It is one of life's little ironies that they should also arrive in Glasgow with a Scotsman in charge. Davie Wilson, who took over as interim manager after the sacking of Allen Bula, was waxing lyrical this week about the formative influence of such Ayrshire football greats as Jim McSherry and Jim Fleeting on his managerial worldview. "Davie is so proud," said Wiseman. "He is absolutely ecstatic to be interim manager for the game against Scotland."

Wiseman was rated highly enough as a youngster to represent England at the prestigious Toulon tournament, at a time when he was in and around the squad at his beloved Hull City which won back-to-back promotions in the mid-noughties. The full back still follows the club with sufficient ardour to be impressed by the impact made by a certain Andy Robertson. "I am the biggest Hull City fan going so it is great to see them going the way they are now," said Wiseman. "A soon as Andy set foot in Hull he became a hit with the fans with his attacking style, so he has done very well and I think he will kick on again soon."

Back to Wiseman and another promotion which followed in 2010 with Rochdale, just one season after he brushed shoulders with a young Jordan Rhodes, then on-loan from Ipswich. Fate could throw the two men back together again at Hampden this evening.

"I have played against him and played with him when he was a young lad and he came to Rochdale on-loan," said Wiseman. "I usually have a chat with him whenever I come up against him and it will be nice to see him again on Sunday. He is one of the nicest lads in football, a great kid. I will never hear a bad word said about him and it is testimony to him that he has achieved everything that he has."

Wiseman has never been to Hampden before, although his card has been marked by his Scottish club mates at the promotion chasing League One club, Paul Gallagher and Scott Laird. Gallagher has appeared just once for his country, rather unfairly used as a wing back by Berti Vogts during a 4-0 friendly defeat to Wales, while left back Laird played at youth level and has an opening goal against Manchester United on his resume from as recently as this season.

"What do my team-mates make of it?" said Wiseman. "Well, Paul Gallagher and Scott Laird have been telling me to drop their names in as much as possible, so they can get back into the national fold too! Paul has been absolutely sensational for us this season, as has Scott. They are doing really well for themselves."

Not all of Wiseman's journies has been plain sailing. Spain are still sufficiently angered by Gibraltar's politically-sensitive admission as a Uefa nation to make life as awkward as possible. Not only were they granted an exemption from playing them, but their first match as an independent nation, the draw with Slovakia, saw them subjected to a little incident at the border.

"We were made to walk across the border, and then get our bags all searched, then we had to get another coach on the Spanish side and it was the same on the way back," said Wiseman. "But I have never had second thoughts. My mum rang me two and a half years ago now to say that they had been accepted by Uefa and that set the wheels in motion to get in touch with Gibraltar. I thought my time had passed on the international stage, so when this opportunity came up I was always going to take it. I haven't spent a lot of time in Gibraltar itself, just a few family holidays and a few flying visits. But when the matches start, you see how much it means, particularly to the local lads. It is absolutely fantastic. Slowly game by game we are getting a bit more togetherness. The lads are learning that it is more about protecting our goal than trying everything you can to get a goal at the other end."