Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor has warned that the mentality within the Scotland squad has to change if the national side are to qualify for another major tournament.

It has been 20 years’ since Scotland last achieved that and as they prepare for this week’s double header in the Nation’s League against Albania and Israel, McGregor has called upon the players involved to focus on developing a winning psyche.

McGregor believes that the players within the Scotland set-up have the talent and ability to take the country back onto a major stage but has insisted that there needs to be a psychological shift within the squad.

Since Alex McLeish returned for a second spell in charge of the national side, Scotland have lost six of their eight games. Asked if there was an issue with the mental challenge of playing in a team that has struggled for form and has been in the international wilderness for two decades, McGregor concurred.

“I think so. Certainly away from home,” he acknowledged. And referring to last month’s demoralising experience of squandering a lead in Haifa, McGregor continued: “We had a tough night away in Israel and it is about the mental state of the players as much as anything. We are all good players and we have all shown that at club level but it is about trying to bring that and harness the team spirit. We want to get the country to a positive place where they want to be.

“When you have not had a period of success then it gets to fans and it is our job to bring that excitement back and to try and qualify. It is a lot of pressure and a big responsibility for the players but this group of players are certainly good enough to do it. It is just a case of trying to get everything right off the pitch and on the pitch.”

There are a core of Celtic players within McLeish’s squad with James Forrest, Kieran Tierney, Jack Hendry and Ryan Christie and McGregor will look for the Parkhead players to lead the way in terms of expectations as Scotland look to set down positive foundations for a new generation of players.

“Any player wants to win and be successful and particularly the Celtic lads have had massive success in the last few years and it almost becomes normal,” said McGregor. “If you are not winning then you think ‘what’s going on here, what’s happening?’ I think it is important to try and bring that winning mentality to the squad. I think it is probably a collective responsibility. We have got to be better than what we were in the last trip and we need results. We are at a stage now where we need to get results. “