THE dreaded international break, hated by many, loved by an ever-growing few.

It only seems like a few weeks ago we were all engrossed in Euro 2020 as international football gripped the nation.

Everyone loves the big tournaments and it was a privilege to be one of the 60,000 souls packed inside Wembley for the gripping final between England and Italy.

Less than two months later and the level of interest is completely diminished as countries compete in World Cup qualifiers.

Don’t get me wrong, this international break came at the right time for Rangers given the Covid outbreak and injuries that had affected several first-team players and the manager, Steven Gerrard.

For Rangers fans though, as soon as the high of the Old Firm win subsided, it’s all about counting the days until the team return to domestic action.

Fortunately, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the Light Blues making the trip to McDiarmid Park to take on St Johnstone on Saturday.

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It has felt like an age since Fil Helander bulleted a header past the despairing Joe Hart to send Ibrox into raptures and that intensity and passion is something you simply don’t seem to get with international qualifiers.

Unfortunately, we’re set for more interludes in the season in the not too distant future with more breaks scheduled in October and November.

Of course, it gives an opportunity for a number of Rangers players to earn caps for their respective countries and shine on the global stage, the aforementioned Helander did just that recently for Sweden as they defeated Spain while Ianis Hagi also shone for Romania. Nathan Patterson also showed just why he should’ve been selected ahead of Stephen O’Donnell at the Euros after putting in an impressive performance against the Moldovans at Hampden.

Then there is Kemar Roofe making his debut for Jamaica and Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo heading off with the Nigerian Super Eagles. It’s always great to see Rangers players earn international recognition, as long as they return in the same condition they departed in.

As a Scot, it pains me to say watching this Scotland side brings me no real enjoyment. Like many, my interest in the national team started to wain shortly after the 1998 World Cup. The constant failure to reach a tournament and seeming acceptance of mediocrity simply eroded that passion.

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After reaching the first major tournament in 23 years, that previous excitement was close to being reignited once again but was quickly extinguished after a combination of poor team selection and lack of bravery saw us crash out in the group stage with a whimper.

And yet, this is a Scotland side littered with quality. We have two of the most exciting talents to come through the ranks in years in Billy Gilmour and Nathan Patterson, we have players at the top clubs in England once again - but we still seem to struggle and toil.

The lack of ambition is something that is difficult to stomach. Take Andy Robertson’s comments after last week’s defeat to Denmark when he said: “We have improved from three, four years ago, I think that could’ve potentially been four or five nil but we dug in.”

This is the Liverpool left-back, a Premier League and Champions League winner yet speaking like a defeatist, it’s all very Scotland. The ‘just happy to be there’ mentality doesn’t sit well with me.

Hence why the international break is so arduous and difficult to get excited about.

As a football fan, however, it’s been a pleasure to attend various major tournaments over the years and Qatar 2022 is next on the go-to list if only we could bypass these turgid breaks in the domestic calendar. Over to you FIFA.

In the meantime, there are only four more sleeps until Rangers are back in action, not that we’re counting the days or anything.