It was an occasion when he wanted to be alone, to ponder what might have been. Instead, Tommy Boyd found himself hunted by the world's press and escape, even temporary, was impossible.

Eventually, he emerged from the desolation of the Scottish dressing room to relive the moment when fate consigned him to an unwanted role in history.

"It's something you see on TV. You never dream it's going to happen to you in a game like this. "Jim (Leighton) had just made a great save and in a flash I found the ball spinning towards me. There was no way I could avoid it. From the moment it hit my chest I knew the worst. "To lose a game of this importance by a mistake like that is just horrible. The lads have tried to cheer me up but, deep down, I hurt badly."

Around him, the Scottish players had closed ranks, determined to show that if any blame be attached to this defeat, it should be collective. But, for all the good intentions, there was no mistaking the misery of the man at the centre of it all.

Befitting a man who calls it as he sees it, Craig Brown, the Scottish manager, was making no excuses when he forced his way through the milling media to reflect on Boyd's misfortune. "What can you say to a player in a situation like this," he asked. "He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The rest is history. "There is no doubt that Brazil were the better team but I still thought we had a great chance not to lose the game. We gave away two bad goals and, at this level, that's disastrous.

"Brazil were Brazil but, for a long time, I was convinced we were going to save the game." Mario Zigallo, the Braziian coach, was not slow to point up the merit of the Scots' performance. "At times, they played very good football. It was a difficult game for us but it wasn't a good Brazilian performance."