National team must restore Scotland's pride, says Paul Hartley

The latest round of dismal results for Scottish clubs in European competition has increased the need for the national team to restore pride, according to Paul Hartley. The 33-year-old midfielder acknowledges Scotland's reputation has been damaged by the fact no club will compete in this season's Europa League after qualifying round failures. Victory for Scotland in a Euro 2012 qualifier in Lithuania on Friday would therefore hold a deeper meaning, Hartley believes. "It is vital," the Aberdeen midfielder said. "We're talking about the Scottish clubs in Europe being out early doors – apart from Rangers in the Champions League – so I think it's important that we try to lift the nation. "It's been doom and gloom over the last week or two so if we can get two good results over these games, hopefully it will lift everybody." As the Scots prepare for their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign – after Lithuania, Liechtenstein visit Hampden Park next Tuesday – memories linger of their failed attempt to reach this year's World Cup. That campaign opened with a defeat in Macedonia, from which the national team never really recovered. "The last campaign was disastrous, to be quite honest with you," Hartley said. "The start was bad, playing in serious heat, although that is not an excuse as to why we lost the game. It was just a real poor start for us. "I think if we can get maximum points from these two games it would be a great start for us and that's what we're going to try to do." Only one of Scotland's current squad, the 40-year-old David Weir, featured the last time the team competed in a major finals – the World Cup in France 12 years ago. Hartley admits to a slight frustration that he and his peers are blamed for a failure to emulate such achievements. "That's why you play football – to play in a major tournament," he said. "I'm not getting any younger, as everybody knows, and it would mean the world to get to the finals of a championship. "But, you know, football has changed an awful lot. There are no easy games now, we know that. Everybody talks about the '98 World Cup, and rightly so. That was the last time we got to a finals, but it's not been for the lack of trying. "We've been in difficult groups over the last few years. Any football game is tough, especially at international level, but we will try our best to get there this time." At the other end of Scotland's age range is Graham Dorrans. The West Bromwich Albion player was at primary school in 1998, but is now the subject of multimillion-pound transfer speculation amid a fine spell at the Hawthorns. "There were bids during the summer but nothing was accepted, so there was nothing for me to think about," Dorrans said. "It is nice to hear the sort of figures mentioned, it must mean you are doing something right, but I was always concentrating on starting the season well."