England currently sit level with Scotland at the top of the table and it's winner takes all tonight, but though McDermott wants his side to lift the Shield for the third successive time, the game is about the team performing well and the players playing to their full potential.

Following victories over Northern Ireland (4-0) and Wales (4-2) with two different sets of players, McDermott will be starting with another new eleven in Scotland's national stadium.

"This team picked itself," he told us on a chilly but fresh afternoon in Glasgow. 

"All those lads who haven't been involved in full games so far in this tournament have been invited along again and will get their chance.

"The team was not picked in relation to our opponents whatsoever. At the out-set of the campaign, we picked a squad of about 33 players and myself and John [Allpress, Assistant Coach] wanted to see what they could all do, so those who didn't start against Northern Ireland or Wales will be given an opportunity tomorrow night.  That was the intention all along."

After meeting up on Tuesday, England's youngest lions have trained everyday as they try to get to know each other.  With the team made up half from the squad that faced Ireland and half from the Wales game, the sessions at Keele University and East Kilbride FC have acted as a great ice-breaker and source of fun for the team.

"The first day we meet up we try and unite the kids and get them to gel with each other, because within four days they'll be playing in an important game. 

"They seem to gel very well and it impresses me how they always manage to do it so quickly.

"When you've got a group of 18 players together, the idea is that we make the training as enjayable as possible and kids at this level get a lot of satisfaction out of training and playing. 

"Kids verging on going into a professional career really enjoy their football and it certainly isn't a chore."

At this stage of the players' development, the focus goes into what their own game and not that of their opponents as McDermott explained:  

"If we talk to the boys about Scotland's strengths it could be confusing, 

"We rather concentrate fully on ouselves, our shape, how we are going to defend and it's not unitl later this year that we will spend a little more time on the opposition."

The preparation for the match is now drawing to an end, and McDermott thinks that his team will enjoy playing in Hampden and become the first England team this millennium to do so.  Not since a Paul Scholes double in November 1999 helped England into Euro 2000 past the Auld Enemy has a Three Lions side played at the historic venue.

"The pitch is looking really nice, perfect for football. A surface like that can only make a team want to play football. 

"We now hope that we can win in such a way that all of the boys play to their potential.  There is a way in which we want to win matches and hopefully we will perform in that way and get the result."

The match kicks off at Hampden Park, Glasgow at 8pm this evening. and for those who can't get to the match, you can watch it live on Sky Sports 1.  TheFA.com will bring you a round-up of the action after the game...