Erin Cuthbert: I am really enjoying playing in the big games. I relish the big occasion.

Erin Cuthbert may have been on the losing side twice in this World Cup but there is no doubt from her reaction after the Japan game that it hurts.

Her post-game analysis sounded eerily similar to the conclusions drawn from the England game:

“I think we have to take a lot from the second half performance, we’ve done well, and we’ve ran them really close but at the end of the day you cannot let a team like that go 2-0 up in the first half.

“Again, we have gave ourselves a mountain to climb like we did in the first game and we have nearly got there, so we credit to ourselves for the performance, but we need to be better.”

Her last memory of club football was a European Cup semi-final second leg in which her Chelsea side narrowly failed to take the continent’s best side Lyon to extra time.

These are big games and Cuthbert was in no doubt that she was one for the big occasions, notwithstanding that they brought a greater likelihood of disappointment in the scoreline:

“Yeah, I am really enjoying like playing in the big games. I relish the big occasion.

“I really enjoy it but that is what every footballer wants – to play on the biggest stage.

“I am lucky enough that I get to do that for my country so hopefully I can take these experiences back to club, when I go back to Chelsea and hopefully we can push on for domestic trophies.”

Cuthbert is still 20 and is experiencing some heady days and nights at a very early stage of her career. Yet, in her maturity, she is taking nothing for granted:

“Of course it is nice to do it young, but you have to focus on the process and what’s the here and now.

“I don’t want to think too far ahead and not enjoy the experience I am having right now because you don’t know what could happen.

“Scotland might not ever be in a World Cup again, so I am just enjoying every single moment that I am here and relishing the opportunity of playing for Scotland at a major stage.”

Given that the men last qualified the year she was born, she is wise to take nothing for granted.

Her side meet Argentina at the Parc des Princes on June 19th, with a win likely but not definite to see her side through to the knockout rounds.

If France as expected beat Nigeria, any Scotland win will take them above Nigeria’s record.

Then it’s a matter of one other third-place team falling below their record. The best chance of that comes on June 20th in Group E when two sides still on zero points New Zealand and Cameroon meet.

Either would need to win by a minimum of a goal more than Scotland to over take the Dark Blues. Chile who play Thailand in Group F would have to win by three more.