THE last time Scotland qualified for a major tournament, Robert Pires ended up lifting the trophy. The French class of ’98 not only contained the classy midfielder, then just 24, but the up-and-coming talents of Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera and David Trezeguet.

Fast-forward 20 years, and the French are on top of the world once again, as Didier Deschamps’ side containing the likes of 19-year-old wonderkid Kylian Mbappe stormed their way to glory in Russia this summer. Meanwhile, the Scots were at home, watching on in envy from afar.

The ‘98 tournament represented a fork in the road for both nations, with the French continuing down the path of elite youth development through their famed national centre of excellence at Clairefontaine - with the odd bump along the way - while Project Brave is the latest attempt to steer the wayward Scots back to producing players capable of competing at the top level once again.

As far as Pires is concerned, they could do little better than to take a leaf out of his own country’s book when it comes to identifying and nurturing the best talent the nation has to offer.

“I’m not arrogant but I think yes,” Pires said. “Because for the country and the clubs, the academy in France is capital.

“That why we find (Kylian) Mbappe, (Ousmane) Dembele, (Nabil) Fekir, (Benjamin) Pavard, (Benjamin) Mendy and so on. The team is very young.

“But you need to work at it to prepare the future. The French Federation did that now Didier Deschamps has a good team.

“It’s not so good [in Scotland] because maybe more academies and structures are needed for young players.

“In France, of course we have great talent. But if you want to find that talent and maximise it then of course you need good academies.

“I know it is different in Scotland. Clubs like Celtic and Rangers have very good teams and their fans are very passionate about those teams.

“When you play for Scotland, it is not the same. It is totally different. I think the shirt can be heavier, because when you play for your country the pressure is not really the same.

“For the Scottish federation, I think the most important thing is not the professional level but with young players at the beginning. You need to work to have the right education.

“I don’t know if the structure in France for young players is the best in the world, but it is one of the best. The federation in France prepared for the future and look at it now.

“We won the World Cup because the young players grew up in a good atmosphere and now you see the quality and the talent. But you have to find that talent first. And, in France, we find them.”

Going even further back, Pires was a part of a French squad that finished third in the 1996 European under-21 Championships, pipping a Scotland team by a single goal in the third-place play-off. But why did the likes of him, Claude Makalele and Sylvain Wiltord graduate from that team and go on to enjoy a career at the very highest level, whereas the likes of Scott Hamilton, Stuart Gray and Jamie Fullerton sunk without a relative trace?

“Development is very important,” he said. “Of course, the first team is the top. But if you want to reach there you have to work in the beginning with the young players.

“Looking back to 1996 seems like a long time. But look now at what has happened for your country and the federation.

“I repeat, you need talent. But you also need to find talent and they often come from the small academies and small teams.

“Mbappe came from a small team, but you need to go and watch all the time. In France, the federation works like that all the time.”

One French player who cut his professional teeth in Scotland after coming through the French system was Moussa Dembele, but while Pires has been impressed by the former Celtic forward since his move back to his homeland with Lyon, he thinks he will have his work cut out to make an impression on the national side.

“I know Dembele and for me he played very well when he was at Celtic,” he said. “It is the same for any French player, an opportunity to sign for Lyon is very tempting because they are a very good club in France. They spent the money for him.

“He has played very well so far. I think he can help Lyon. He is fast, has very good skills and can score goals. He looks like he will be very important to that team.

“But when a player changes country, they always need to adapt to this new life. Some fans and media tell you that playing football is the same everywhere. It’s not.

“When you change country, it is totally different. In Scotland it might be more physical than France so you need that period to adapt. But I think he has started well at Lyon, showing why they spent that money.”

There is of course a current French connection at Celtic Park too, and Pires is sure that Olivier Ntcham and Odsonne Edouard can follow Dembele into one of Europe’s major leagues after honing their craft in Scotland.

“I know they are good players,” he said. “For the guys it’s a good opportunity to play for Celtic because they can play in the Europa League and fight for the title with Rangers.

“If you are a player like these guys and have an opportunity to play with a great, great club such as Celtic and everyone in Europe knows them...for the future, if you play very well you can join the Premier League, La Liga or Serie A.

“This is a very good start if you play for Celtic.”

*Robert Pires was speaking at the launch of the Glasgow edition of Star Sixes, a competitive six-a-side tournament for international legends being held at the SSE Hydro from 4-6 January. Tickets from £20/£10 at www.thessehydro.com