If the national side triumph in their final Group C fixture they will leapfrog their opponents into top spot and book their place in Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer.   

McGinn appreciates that Scotland must perform far better tomorrow evening than they did at the weekend if they want to pick up all three points and make it through to their first World Cup since France ’98.

However, the Aston Villa captain knows from personal experience just how intimidating a venue Hampden can be for visiting sides and believes that he and his compatriots can rise to the occasion with a little help from the Tartan Army.

“They have a squad full of top players,” he said. “But any top player who comes to Hampden is made to feel uncomfortable. We’ve got a reputation for being strong at home. We’ve had good results at home in qualifying campaigns. We need to rest and recover and give everything we’ve got both in the stands and on the pitch.

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“We get told we’re an ageing squad, which we are. But what we are grateful and thankful for is our experience. It’s up to us older ones to guide the younger ones. We’ve played in front of big crowds and in high pressure games. We’re used to it so we know how to manage the games.

“Sometimes we manage it better than others, but it’s about playing the game, not the occasion. We need to manage the game professionally. We know the task, three points and we’re at the World Cup. What an opportunity and it’s one to grasp. It’s an opportunity which we maybe don’t deserve after Saturday night. But we’ve been given that opportunity and we need to take it.”

McGinn continued, “I was at the last big deciding game, Scotland v Italy (in a Euro 2008 qualifier in 2007). I’ll never forget it. It was under the lights at Hampden and there was the best anthem I’ve ever heard.

“Decisions went against us that night, but the power and the emotion from the support and the desperation for us to succeed was huge. We have felt it on special nights at Hampden and we will need that again on Tuesday. We know how special a stadium it is on nights like this and hopefully we can make it another special night.”

McGinn, who set up Ben Gannon-Doak for the first Scotland goal against Greece, saw enough in the national team’s performance on Saturday night to give him confidence they can prevail against Denmark.

“We have a lot to learn,” he said. “We conceded poor goals, we know that. Goals that could have been avoided. But what we did do is create nine or ten clear chances to score and we need to repeat that.

“What Saturday night proved is that we need to go extra. We need to give more, run more, fight more. And what we did in the second half was that we didn’t let Greece breathe. For us to get to the World Cup we need to make sure that happens on Tuesday night.

“It’s going to be a lot harder to break them down and a lot harder to find the spaces. We need to replicate the performance we had against Denmark a couple of years ago (Scotland won a Qatar 2022 qualifier against the Scandinavians at Hampden 2-0 in 2021) and more.”

McGinn continued, “I think we can take confidence from both games (Scotland drew 0-0 with Denmark in Copenhagen). I think as footballers sometimes you turn up at a ground and you think, ‘Ach, not this again’. You’re only human, you have good experiences and bad experiences.

“Hopefully Denmark’s experience at Hampden last time will put a bit of trauma in their heads and they won’t be looking forward to it. They know we are a good side when we’re on it. We know what they are capable of. But what we need to do on Tuesday is absolutely empty the tank and we will do that.”