SCOTLAND captain Andy Robertson last night fought back tears to hail his Scotland team mates as heroes after their nail-biting penalty shoot-out win over Serbia in the Euro 2020 play-off final.

Steve Clarke’s side dominated the match in the Rajko Mitic Stadum and took a deserved second-half lead through a Ryan Christie strike.

However, they conceded a last-minute equaliser to substitute Luka Jovic and then had to defend for their lives in extra-time to take the match to spot kicks.

Leigh Griffiths, Callum McGregor, Scott McTominay, Oliver McBurnie and Kenny McLean all converted from 12 yards.

And when goalkeeper David Marshall denied Aleksandar Mitrovic the national team finally qualified for their first major tournament finals since France ’98.

“There was so much emotion going into the game,” said Robertson. “You get so close and they end up equalising. You have to pick yourself up in extra-time which we did without creating much.

“When it goes to penalties you always back Marshy and it’s just about whether the lads can hold their nerve and they managed to do it.

“We have come so far as a squad and I am proud of everyone at the moment. They have been through a lot, a lot of criticism, a lot of negativity at times. We have stuck together and we have battled through it.

“I really hope everyone back home can see the positive side of this because we are absolutely delighted and I hope at a really tough time we have put a smile on a lot of people’s faces.”

He added: “In the 90 minutes we were comfortable. It was one of the best 90 minutes I have been involved in with Scotland. We were the far better team, they started to come into it a bit more, then in the second-half we were the far better team.

“It is always hard near the end. They had eight or nine men in the box and it is hard to pick out five or six. Unfortunately, we lost a man. It just shows you the strengths that we’ve got to come back from that. A lot of people would maybe have crumbled, but we stuck together.

“Now we have got the night that we deserve. I can’t wait for the summer now. It s the most emotional I have been after a game. I am so proud of all of them.”

Robertson, the Liverpool left back, admitted he was relieved when Marshall saved from Mitrovic because he was due to take the next penalty and he was struggling with an injury.

“I was next,” he said. “But my hamstring had seized up in the second-half of extra-time and I was a bit worried that it was gong to cramp up. But the penalties were unbelievable and, like I said, when Marsh is in goals you always back him.

“What a night! It is hard to explain just now emotionally. These lads deserve it. Forget about me. I am just the boy who is so lucky to walk n front of them. My God, these boys are something else. We will look forward to the summer now. I haven’t had time to think about it, but that’s what lies ahead.”