CHRISTIAN DAILLY believes qualifying for Euro 2008 would be the greatest ever achievement by Scotland.

He has represented his country at the World Cup Finals, and has seen his predecessors carry the flag into the European Championships.

But the 64-cap star is in no doubt that denying Italy or France one of the two qualifying spots for next summer's Finals would top the lot.

Victory over Georgia tomorrow will be essential if Scotland are to keep this dream alive.

Then Alex McLeish can take his squad to Italy next midweek still on top of the group.

Dailly - who freely admits stepping back on to the inter-national scene is welcome relief from the frustration of sitting on the sidelines with struggling West Ham - reckons we have the men to get Scotland back where we once were in terms of reaching major finals.

That's somewhere they have not been since France 1998, and Dailly admitted: "I probably didn't think it would take so long to get back to a major tournament.

"And it gets tougher every year because there are more and more teams capable of qualifying.

"We've got ourselves in a strong enough position at the moment, and the team has done well up until now. But you can never rest on anything.

"There is no doubt that at West Ham some boys took their foot off the gas this season and we've ended up in trouble.

"It's the same with Scotland. If you take your foot of the pedal, you will get kicked in the teeth. But we don't think that way."

Dailly is only thinking positively as he looks down from the top of the qualifying pile.

He said: "The way this group is at the moment, and with the quality of the teams in it, if we manage to get through to the finals, it would be the biggest achievement of probably any Scotland team.

"Everyone looked at the group at the start and thought that it was an impossible task.

"But, because all the teams are of such high quality, they are all capable of taking points of each other at different times.

"Which is why, if you can get three points from a game, it can put you in a good position.

"That's what we are aware of going into this match against Georgia."

Dailly continued: "The Italy game next will look after itself. This showdown against Georgia is THE game for us. It's our cup final. It's massive.

"The whole focus is on this. I don't think anyone is even bothering about the Italy game at the moment.

"With the table being so competitive, if you can win your home games it puts you in a really good position, and everyone is aware of that.

"If we win we're on 12 points, which would be fantastic.

"But, if we lose, it becomes an awful lot tougher.

"That's not lost on us."

At 33, and after a decade in Dark Blue, Dailly acknowledges this may be his last chance to help the re-energised Tartan Army add their distinctive presence to a major finals jamboree.

But, displaying all the enthusiasm of a kid set to win his first cap, he is ready to give it his all.

"You thought the World Cup Finals was going to be great," he said. "But it was 10 times better than you thought it would be.

"That just makes you all the more determined to get to something like that again.

"The older you get, the more aware you are the less finals there are going to be for you to have a go at.

"Sometimes it makes it even more important - if that's possible."

Not that Dailly has any plans to hang up his international boots should this qualifying campaign come off the rails.

In fact, he made it clear they will have to push him out the door. Even then, he promises to be hanging around waiting for a recall.

He said: "I can never imagine saying I'm not going to play for Scotland any more.

"I never think, I've got these Scotland games coming up and it's going to be an ordeal'. It's never like that.

"I regard playing for your country as the pinnacle of your career, the best thing you can do.

"I've never changed in that respect, and I'll be quite happy when someone turns round to me one day and says you are not good enough.

"I'll say, okay - but I'll still think I can get in and try to prove someone wrong."

Being considered a key figure with Scotland is in stark contrast to Dailly's club position where West Ham, despite their problems this season, have been happy to use him sparingly.

Forever the optimist, Dailly does not view that as a handicap in terms of stepping up to the plate for Scotland.

He explained: "It could be a benefit to Scotland that I have not been playing every week for West Ham because I might be fresh.

"If I don't play in the first team, I do play for the reserves, so I'm keeping myself in good nick.

"And I can play in several positions. I don't think that has been a hindrance to my career. I'm just naturally athletic, and that has been the basis of it all because I can get about the park in any position.

"It's probably been a benefit, and it's something I have grown to love doing more as I've got older."