Steven Pressley is laughing at being described as Scotland’s saviour. This wasn’t based on his beard or long hair, but on the organisational virtues he would bring to the Scotland defence in Iceland six years ago after the infamous 2-2 draw in the Faroe Islands. “I think because of the result and performance in the Faroes and the criticism the team had received, I had been hailed as the saviour for some strange reason,” he grins. “We went into that game and people were expecting me to make a major impact. Thankfully, it worked out extremely well and on the back of that I became a regular in the national side.”

Despite his self-deprecation, Pressley was a saviour of sorts for Berti Vogts, who turned to him, on Tommy Burns’ advice, after criticising David Weir and prompting the centre-back’s premature international retirement. He was part of a workmanlike 3-5-2, straight from the Craig Brown handbook, which gave Vogts one of his better days as Scotland manager. The German was so chipper afterwards, he even thanked the press for their support.

It will be a vastly different Scotland which lines up in the Laugardalsvollur stadium on Wednesday, though. Of the side which won on October 12, 2002, only Gary Naysmith, a surprise goalscorer with his right foot, will play as Barry Ferguson is injured. Names such as Maurice Ross and Stevie Crawford may now seem incongruous when mentioned in an international context, yet both played well that day. When asked to compare the two teams, Pressley gives a thoughtful response. “I don’t know if we have a better standard of player but I look at this squad and think we have got a group of players who genuinely believe they should be playing at the top level. That’s been a big change in recent years. You have got a number of younger Old Firm players emerging and players in England who genuinely believe they are good enough to play top-level football. There’s no inferiority complex with them and the mind is such an important aspect of modern football.”

Naysmith remembers Reykjavik fondly, if a little hazily. He started as a left wing-back, from where he delivered the corner from which Christian Dailly put Scotland ahead after seven minutes, then moved into central midfield beside Barry Ferguson and Paul Lambert when Jackie McNamara departed injured. It was from there, in the 63rd minute, that he tamed a cross from Ross after a fine Scotland move to the edge of Iceland’s box and then found the top right-hand corner of Arni Arason’s goal.

“It will be good to go back, I have good memories of Iceland,” he said, as he waited to board the flight to Macedonia on Friday. “When you are in midfield you have more of a chance to go forward and luckily for me I got a chance and scored. It’s definitely the best goal I have scored with my right foot, although I’ve got a couple with it. I’d played there under Walter [Smith] at Everton, on the left of a three in midfield, so it wasn’t a totally new position. I don’t know if Berti knew that or not.

“As I recall, we deserved to win, I don’t think we were holding on. It was a good feeling to know we were under that pressure and were able to handle it and get the result. We turned the corner after that and got the results that enabled us to get into the playoff.”

Pressley thought his chances of furthering his Scotland career had gone when he missed Vogts’s early experiments. “I had struggled with a back injury over the summer and missed his trip to Hong Kong, so I wasn’t in his thoughts for the opening fixture in the Faroes. Then the disappointing result forced a change of plan for Berti and opened the door for me. I seemed to get on extremely well with Tommy, I had worked with him in the under-21s. He knew the type of character I was and I think he had a big influence on my selection.”

Scotland have won all four previous meetings with Iceland, a record which brings its own pressure, yet one which Pressley believes the current players can handle as they experience similar expectation at their clubs. “International football is a high-pressure game, the nation expects. Old Firm players have to handle that type of pressure every week. Players at Manchester United, like Darren Fletcher, have to win every week. James McFadden at Birmingham just now, is expected to win every week. That can only benefit the national team.”

They will certainly find the temperatures and style of football faced on Wednesday far more familiar than those encountered yesterday. “The Icelandic summer, if it exists,” smiled Pressley. He believes Scotland should assert their own strengths rather than fret too much over the opposition’s.

“We have to consider their strengths and look at the weaknesses we can exploit, but it is important we concentrate on our own strengths because we have a good squad who are capable of high-quality performances. If we play to our levels, then I have no doubt we’ll win.”

The coaching role offered by George Burley brought Pressley’s international playing career to an end after 32 caps, only two of which were won, in friendlies against France and Ireland, prior to Vogts. “You don’t envisage your first coaching role being with the national side but I am very happy that George thought highly enough of me to give me this opportunity. I try to speak to the players and get feedback for George, and if I observe that a player is a little unsure of what is expected of him, I will approach him and ask, just to make sure there’s no grey areas. I think that has been relatively positive so far.”

With only the Uefa Pro Licence outstanding from his qualifications, Pressley is almost ready to complete the transformation from player to coach. Almost, but not quite. Attempting to broaden his horizons, he recently agreed a deal with Randers, coached by Colin Todd, for 11 games until Denmark’s winter shutdown on December 7. Satellite television and DVDs will keep him up to date with the Scotland squad and he will return for next month’s match against Norway and a November friendly, probably against Portugal. “I fancied the opportunity to play abroad and this came up. I also get Christmas at home which, as a professional footballer, you don’t get too often.”

There are also not too many days like the one in Iceland six years ago in a football career. Pressley and Naysmith hope Wednesday’s visit will be equally satisfying.

ON TV ON WEDNESDAY

Iceland v Scotland

6.30pm Setanta Sports 2