There had been a growing suspicion creeping throughout the land that someone up there wanted Scotland to be at the World Cup. That maybe since Denis Law had arrived upstairs, if there is some divine power, they had realised there was a new sheriff in town, and the Lawman was calling the shots.
How else do you explain all of this? These past three months, which have seen this Scotland team swing from the sublime to the ridiculous, from chastening lows to dizzying highs – and all of it and more on this night of nights.
Until finally, Scott McTominay’s boot stretched towards the heavens, Lawrence Shankland bundled home from a yard, and when Kieran Tierney curled home a quite unbelievable strike in stoppage time, the Danes just had to accept it. It was written in the stars. Scotland ascended into the World Cup. At long, long last.
And how fitting it was that a true Steve Clarke stalwart was the man to put the seal on it with the last kick of the night, as Kenny McLean looked up, saw Kasper Schmeichel miles from his goal, and planted a 50-yarder over the Danish keeper and into the net. No one who was here could believe their eyes, and no one who was here will ever forget it.
Where to start? Well, perhaps a better question would be who to thank? Well, let's not forget Alex McLeish. The national team legend’s second tenure in charge of his country may not be remembered all that fondly, but it was he who battled through the Beast from the East all those years ago to ensure that McTominay would be committing himself to the dark blue. And how he has.
His goal here will live alongside those of Joe Jordan, Ally McCoist and Kenny Dalglish in Scotland folklore, a sumptuous overhead kick that set Hampden alight. By the end, mind you, it might not even have been the best goal of the night.
We can thank Valery Gromyko and Nikita Demchenko, the goalscorers for Belarus in their stunning 2-2 draw in Copenhagen on Saturday night that brought us all here with hope in our hearts.
And there were more than a few occasions when the Tartan Army gazed skywards and uttered their thanks followed by a burst of expletives, as you sensed, around 10 minutes after that barnstorming opening, that the worm was turning.
After losing John Souttar in the warm-up, with Grant Hanley replacing him in the line-up, the last thing the Scots needed was another early change. And they especially didn’t need an injury to the electric Ben Gannon-Doak, who was terrorising Danish full-back Patrick Dorgu.
But that’s what they got. What a blow. The youngster went down clutching his hamstring, McLean came on with Ryan Christie being pushed out to the right, and the Danes took control. If only we knew then what we know now.
It was at this point that Scotland could thank Andy Robertson and John McGinn, with the captain standing firm to stymie the tricky Gustav Isaksen, and the Aston Villa skipper the one man in dark blue who could get on the ball and drive his team forward.
We can also thank Danish striker Hojlund, mind you, who was doing just about everything but finding the net with multiple chances that came his way. And by the interval, we were all thankful for the half time whistle.
And so, it all came down to this. Forty-five minutes and stoppage time was all that stood between Scotland and ending over a quarter of century of World Cup pain.
This was torture. Scotland were camped in. And then, that moment every Scotland fan feared, burying their heads in their hands like poor Ally McLeod all those years ago.
There was a long VAR check for a potential penalty as Robertson challenged Isaksen on the edge of the area. It was contentious, to say the least. It wasn’t even clear it was a foul, never mind inside the box. But referee Szymon Marciniak was called over to the monitor, and after a quick look himself, he gave it. Disaster for Scotland.
Hojlund, who had looked unable to hit a barn door to that point, buried it emphatically.
Scotland had to gather themselves, and quick. But it was the Danes who blinked next, with Rasmus Kristensen taking down McGinn for a second time to earn a second booking. That gave Scotland half an hour with a man advantage to seize a golden opportunity.
Shankland and Che Adams were thrown on for Christie and Lyndon Dykes. But the flow of the game remained the same. The Danes still had plenty of the ball. It looked as though it was slipping away. Particularly when Shankland’s goal was cancelled out by Dorgu with a little over seven minutes remaining.
As Scotland somehow emerged victorious after an incredible finish, there was only one man left to thank.
In the end, his critics can cite Lady Luck all they like, but the lion’s share of gratitude must be saved for the manager, Clarke. It wasn’t luck that saw the Scots past Greece here last month after all, but three goals from his team when the chips were down. And it wasn’t fortune that Denmark failed to beat Belarus at home as Scotland had – albeit grimly – but the shortcomings of the Danes.
It wasn’t luck that took Scotland to two European Championships, and now a World Cup, ending decades of hurt for the Tartan Army. It was Robertson, McGinn, McTominay and so many more.
But above all else, it was Clarke. Now Scotland’s most successful manager of all time. It wasn’t pretty at points. And sure, there were some breaks that went their way. The challenge now will be to show the best of themselves on the big stage.
But this was a Clarke team full of guts, heart and resilience, and they got everything that they deserved.
