Scotland v Austria: Goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann on Steve Clarke & facing old friends

Daniel Bachmann played under Steve Clarke during Kilmarnock's successful 2018/19 campaign

Austria goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann is excited by the prospect of facing Scotland on Thursday - and not just because he could earn his first cap.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Steve Clarke again," he tells BBC Scotland. "I already spoke to Greg Taylor too, whom I obviously played with at Kilmarnock. It'll be nice to see them."

Bachmann remembers his season in Ayrshire very fondly, and why wouldn't he? On loan from Watford in season 2018-19 - where he's now established himself as first-choice goalkeeper - he helped Kilmarnock secure third place and European qualification with a club-record points tally.

"He's very quiet, almost like a bit of an introvert but in a good way," Bachmann says of Scotland coach Clarke. "I really enjoyed working under him.

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"He's different to most of the managers I had before, and after as well. But, when he comes in the room there's that presence and that respect that he gets from everyone. I think you saw that on the pitch too.

"I didn't play, I think, the first 10 games. So it's not an easy situation, especially when you come on loan from a Premier League club. It's easy to lose your head a little bit and throw the towel in.

"We had a couple of talks in the first few weeks when I wasn't playing. I'm really grateful to have met him and worked under him, because he's taught me a lot."

'Austria need to expect a physical game from Scotland'

Now, Bachmann wants to ensure Clarke and some of his former Kilmarnock team-mates have the worst possible start to their World Cup qualifying campaign.

The build-up for Austria, though, has been slightly disrupted. Initial quarantine rules in Germany looked like denying them the services of their German Bundesliga players, including captain and Bayern Munich defender David Alaba - but a change means most of their stars will be present, including RB Leipzig's Marcel Sabitzer.

So what can Scotland expect? And what will Bachmann be telling his team-mates about Scotland's style?

"I don't know the manager [Franco Foda] very well yet because when I was in the squad a few years ago, it was a different manager," Bachmann said.

"I know he likes to play football, he likes to play from the back, he likes to have the ball on the floor. It's certainly a passing style of play rather than just lump it forward and see what happens.

Foda has been in charge of Austria since 2018

"We need to expect a physical game [from Scotland], a lot of balls in the air. From my time at Kilmarnock, we just played from the second ball. If it's on to play without any risk, then we did it from the back.

"But more often than not, we just went for the second ball. And once the ball was down in the middle of the pitch, then we actually moved the ball really well and played really good football.

"I think it'll be a similar style. But obviously, he's got a different group of players. And he's got some big names in the squad - Andy Robertson, Scott McTominay. It'll be a tough game for us."

For Bachmann, the personal side of reuniting with old friends is also coupled with ambition of ensuring he - like Scotland - will be at Euro 2020 this summer.

A breakthrough campaign at Watford has helped his cause, and now he has the chance to impress at close quarters and help drive Austria to the World Cup. While he targets top spot in the group, he hopes Scotland can snatch a play-off spot.

"We'll take first place, and you can take second, that's fine with me," he added.