Captain Rachel Corsie “undoubtedly” believes the next generation of Scotland players have the “quality” to return to women’s major tournaments.
The 35-year-old will retire at the end of this international window as the Scots close out their Nations League A campaign at home to Austria on Friday and away to the Netherlands next Tuesday, with both matches live on the BBC.
The defender, who has not played for the national team since July, led Scotland out at their first, and only, World Cup appearance in 2019, two years after reaching Euro 2017.
Having failed to qualify for the last three major tournaments, the task of taking the Scots back to the top table falls on new head coach Melissa Andreatta.
“They’re so talented, the opportunity they’ve had to just refine their skills, to become elite athletes from a younger age, that’s just going to set them up for hopefully great things,” centre-back Corsie, who has just left Aston Villa, said.
“Undoubtedly [the talent is there]. Do I believe we’ve got the quality? Yes.
“I think the biggest part, though, is having that mentality of I want to be the best and I want to be a part of a team that’s the best.
“If we can do that and do it better than the nations that we’re competing in amongst us, I think we’ll get there.”
While the 154-cap defender announced her retirement on Monday, it is a decision she has sat with for a while.
Although unable to put a finger on the moment it clicked, Corsie – who missed the large majority of the season gone to a knee injury – admitted qualifying for this summer’s Euros in Switzerland was “the biggest target”.
The Scots, without their captain, failed to do that in Finland and so this is the end for the Aberdeen native who made her international debut in 2009.
“It’s hard to know how I feel,” she said. “Announcing it yesterday publicly was an emotional day but a really nice day, though I was genuinely so nervous driving to camp!
“I’m trying to slow the days down. Everyone says it hits you after, so I’m sort of braced for that.”
Corsie, whose career started with Glasgow City – where she went on to win seven Scottish league titles – confirmed she does want “to stay within football in some capacity” beyond her playing days.
She has done punditry for the BBC – including at Euro 24 – and co-hosts the Behind The Goals podcast with former team-mate Leanne Crichton, while she has also tried her hand at coaching.
There is nothing concrete, yet, about what the future holds, although she does know a break is required, first and foremost.
“I’m definitely going to take some time out and I don’t know how that’s going to go, I think that might be the hardest bit,” she said with a smile.
“But I’m going to definitely take a couple of weeks gone holiday, turn my phone off probably as much as you can these days and just enjoy that because, when you’ve been a professional athlete, summer’s never quite summer.
“I want to stay within football in some capacity. I love it.
“I’ve really enjoyed the media, I’ve done little bits of coaching, different bits and pieces through the players’ union, things in the US, things back here, but I need to probably figure out what feels like a good opportunity next and what feels right.”
