You could scarcely blame Stephen Welsh for not cutting the umbilical cord with Celtic before he did.
A lifelong supporter of the club, he made 70 appearances across the five seasons which came in between loan spells at Morton and Motherwell.
A succession of managers at Parkhead publicly talked up his credentials. Without ever really becoming a mainstay of the side, he was involved enough to feel part of it and to believe that the prolonged run of games he craved lay just around the corner.
You can’t help wonder, though, what might have happened if the defender hadn’t been quite so patient in his formative years.
Robbie Ure didn’t let his affinity with Rangers stand in the way of his desire for first-team football and he now leads the line for Sevilla after spells with Anderlecht and Sirius.
What if Welsh had gritted his teeth and done likewise three or four years back? He’d surely have far more Scotland caps than the three he’s accrued to date. And there’s every chance that some of them would have been earned in a World Cup.
While there’s nothing to be gained from contemplating what might have been, it was hard not to consider Welsh’s lost years in Dark Blue as he turned in a flawless display in Skopje on Saturday evening.
Stephen Welsh applauds Scotland fans after the 2-0 win in Macedonia
Welsh wins a header as Scotland claimed the first win of Pocognoli’s reign
Now aged 26 and a permanent fixture for Swansea this season, this – at long last – feels like his moment.
Having been deployed on the left of a three in Slovenia then been hastily introduced against the Swiss following Jack Hendry’s dismissal, Welsh looked right at home starting on the right.
It was his regular forays into midfield, though – which elevated Welsh’s display from merely being competent.
Completely at ease whenever he stepped into the game, he created an overload, drew fouls and contributed, in no small part, to a dominant team display.
If Welsh feels like he’s making up for lost time then he’s got nothing to worry about. If he can maintain the standard he set, the caps will quickly come.
Although Hendry is available for selection again when Slovenia visit Hampden on Tuesday, it’s inconceivable that Welsh will be displaced.
The space created by the suspension of Scott McKenna should be Hendry’s only hope of an instant recall as the quadruple header of Nations League matches concludes.
In the two games Welsh has started, Scotland have kept clean sheets. Equally aggressive and intelligent on the ball, Luis Binks also impressed on the left-side on Saturday.
The pair should take some shifting now. Going forward, it feels like a three-way fight between McKenna, Hendry and Luke Graham for the central role.
Notwithstanding how ordinary North Macedonia were, the fact that the home side didn’t register a single shot on target across the evening was hugely encouraging.
Even when McKenna walked late on for catching Agon Eliza after taking the ball, Pocognoli’s side were resolute and calm.
The victory was far more comfortable than the scoreline suggested. In terms of chances created and control of the match, it was a pummelling.
Stole Dimitrievski demonstrated why he earns his crust with Valencia. Had it not been for the goalkeeper’s heroics, the North Macedonians could easily have lost by five or six.
This was just what Pocognoli and the Tartan Army had longed to see. After the non-event which was the loss to Switzerland at Hampden, there was ample evidence of the Belgian’s vision for the side.
With the defence assured and playing a high line, Scotland dominated, pressed with intent and moved the ball with purpose on a rutted surface.
It was entertaining and encouraging yet at the same time a little frustrating. For all Kieron Bowie ensured an unwanted record wasn’t set when he scored a superb goal on seven minutes, the percentage of chances which Scotland took was troubling.
On his 100th cap, Andy Robertson had four attempts inside the first 13 minutes.
Ben Gannon-Doak spurned three decent opportunities. Despite his excellent nerve-settling strike, Bowie fired another chance straight at a defender and later worked the keeper.
Kieron Bowie fires home the first goal in Scotland’s 2-0 win over Macedonia
John McGinn fired just over and drilled one into Dimitrievski’s arms in the dying seconds. A good job he clinically converted a penalty in between.
But a killer touch was really all that was missing from a performance which felt like a confident step in the right direction for Pocognoli and his new-look squad.
Aside from some crossing practice, Angus Gunn had nothing to do. He needed that kind of evening after looking suspect against the Swiss.
Aside from a risky square ball which led to McKenna’s dismissal, Robertson was outstanding at left wing-back. The Tottenham man didn’t have a great World Cup – he was hardly alone – but those who’ve questioned if he’s on the wane were given their answer on Saturday.
McGinn too, has not been without his critics of late. After just one goal in his previous 19 matches and some ineffective displays, it has to be said that this has not been completely baseless.
This, however, was much more like it. The Aston Villa man was a ball of energy, driving forward, connecting the game, winning fouls and stepping in to extinguish the fires on the rare occasion that the North Macedonians had ideas of launching a counter-attack.
Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson comprehensively outplayed whoever came into their area.
It was Gilmour’s perfect pass to Bowie which allowed the Sassuolo forward to dance away from his opponent and lash home with his left foot from the edge of the box on seven minutes. He’ll do well to score a better goal for Scotland than his first.
Much had been made of Gannon-Doak’s inclusion at right wing-back. While better sides will provide sterner tests of his defensive credentials, the Bournemouth man was not found wanting on that score.
Although short on minutes with his club – the only match he’s started is a League Cup clash with Lincoln – he was a blur of activity on the front foot.
While Gannon-Doak’s final ball needs work, just try stopping him when he goes inside. He was mightily fortunate not to win a penalty when Matej Gashtarov bumped his left knee when running at full pelt, with the referee ruling that the Scottish player had first stood on the midfielder’s other foot.
In a game when both sides were entitled to feel aggrieved at marginal decisions going against them, you had to sympathise with Bojan Miovski.
Where the Rangers striker was meant to put his hands as Bowie tried to fire home after McKenna’s header had come off the post is a moot point.
McGinn made short work of the task from 12 yards, the second goal the very least Scotland deserved from a performance which was brimming with positives.
