Rangers and Celtic legends Graeme Souness and Charlie Nicholas both star in the ad, alongside Gordon Strachan
Scottish football legends have taken a cheeky swipe at the England squad by throwing their support behind Mexico ahead of the World Cup last-16 clash.
Charlie Nicholas, Graeme Souness and Gordon Strachan proclaimed “Vamos Mexico!” in a tongue-in-cheek Paddy Power advert targeting Harry Kane and his teammates as they gear up to face Javier Aguirre’s side in the early hours of the morning.
Thomas Tuchel’s England will be looking to book their spot in the quarter-finals at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, with the match kicking off at 1am UK time. The upcoming encounter has prompted some brilliant banter from the well-known trio, all of whom represented Scotland during their distinguished playing days.
In the clip, shared by the well-known bookmaker, the three don sombreros, ponchos, Mariachi Band attire and Nacho Libre outfits while claiming to be part of what they describe as Scotland’s expanding Mexican community.
While battering a ’66’ piñata – a dig at England’s 1966 World Cup triumph and their tendency to constantly remind everyone about it – and enjoying a margarita, Rangers legend Souness playfully tells the interviewer: “We Mexico fans are laid back but we still have a ferocious will to win, something our next opponents are going to experience first hand, whoever that may be.”, reports the Daily Record.
Nicholas adds: “Being a Los Azteca is all about passion. We may not always win but we will fight to the end. The atmosphere, the intensity, the altitude – I’m telling you, we’re a match for anyone on our own patch”. Strachan then hilariously appears in a full Mariachi Band suit, musing: “I was in my first Mariachi Band when I was probably 69 years old. It feels like yesterday,” to which the interviewer states: “You were 69 yesterday, Gordon”.
The former Celtic boss then launches into ‘The Flower of Mexico’ – a unique take on our own national anthem.
Growing suspicious, the interviewer then challenges the trio: “Some people might say you’re just pretending to be Mexico fans because you’re so desperate for them to beat the English” to which Nicholas erupts: “Ridiculoso!”.
Rounding things off, Souness explains: “Look, I don’t know who’s playing the next game. England? Never heard of them. But they’re in for a hell of a ride. They’ll face the full might of El Tri,” to which they all declare: “Vamos Mexico!”.
This follows approximately 50,000 Scotland supporters who made the trip to Boston for the national side’s opening two fixtures against Haiti on June 13 and Morocco on June 19, resulting in a 1-0 win and a 1-0 loss respectively.
Thousands of Tartan Army faithful then descended on Miami, but Scotland suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat to Carlo Ancelotti’s side, and a chain of results involving Croatia, Iran, and Ecuador pushed Scotland further down the standings, ultimately dashing their qualification hopes.
The heartbreaking conclusion to Scotland’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years was made all the more painful by Steve Clarke’s subsequent resignation.