SCOTLAND’s Euro 2020 heroes made a nation proud when they defeated Serbia on Thursday.

But for wingback Liam Palmer this famous result could only be dedicated to one person.

Palmer’s nan Jean, who is sadly no longer with us, was part of the reason why the Sheffield Wednesday man signed up to the Scottish cause ten years ago.

As David Marshall sent a nation delirious with his stunning penalty save, Palmer had only one lady on his mind.

“I put a post on Instagram after the game saying ‘that’s for you nan.’,” he told Herald and Times Sport.

“My journey with Scotland started 10 years ago when I went to a camp with Billy Stark. Never did I think I would be a part of reaching a tournament for the first time in 22 years.

“When I was 18 or 19 going off to that camp, I didn't even know anyone. But what a decision it was to choose Scotland and to do it for my nan - it was really emotional for all the family when I spoke to them afterwards.

“She's not here anymore but they all said how proud she would be. If she was still here she would have had the whole street round – Covid or not!

“She was the hub of her street, she was that kind of woman. She'd open her arms to anyone, they'd have had some party.”

Palmer was forced to watch the Belgrade encounter from the stands as Steve Clarke opted to leave the 29-year-old on the bench.

Of course Palmer would have loved to have been involved, but he was mightily impressed with the heroics of his teammates.

He explained: “It wasn't good watching the game, I'd much rather have been playing! When they scored late on, I was sat there not really knowing what to think.

“We all rushed down for the extra time and penalties. We had to try and keep the boys' heads up – and lift them off the canvas.

“They'd done so well in the game and dominated large parts of it. So it was a kick in the teeth. But they managed to pick themselves up and get the job done.

“The boys who came on and took penalties were incredible. It was a great effort from everyone.”

Palmer continued: “The mood is pretty good, definitely. Seeing the emotion of the boys immediately after the game, Ryan Christie's interview probably summed it up.

“You could see the relief and what it meant to everyone. Not just the boys in camp but everyone outside.

“It's been amazing to see the messages coming in and everyone's in a great mood. In the back of our minds going into the Serbia game, we knew the joy we could bring to families back home.

“What a year it's been in terms of lockdowns and various other things. So to give that joy and excitement to people, it's really nice.

“The players felt that before the game, we had the chance to put a smile back on everyone's face at a tough time.”

Scotland now turn their focus to Slovakia with the aim of topping Group F of the Nations League.

There may have been some fuzzy heads on Friday morning, but Palmer insists the Scots are ready to get a result in Trnava.

He added: “We all enjoyed the celebrations and everybody’s company in the hotel room – rightly so. I’m delighted for the backroom staff as well because they deserve a mention.

“They have come away for a number of years. From the manager and players’ point of view, it is the momentum that we want to try to build. We’ve got two more games in this camp and we want to keep pushing forward.

“The immediate focus is on the next two games. The England game will be spoken about the most and we can look forward to it, of course.

“But in terms of myself I’m just going to be working hard in the next two games. I want the chance to showcase what I can do again.

“Everybody will be vying for those places. In football, you can never get too far ahead of yourself. After this camp, I’ll go back to my club and make sure I do make the final cut.”