FOR young footballer Chloe Arthur, celebrating life moments are now bitter sweet.

The 23-year-old and her teammates were overjoyed when they became the first Scotland Women’s team to qualify for a World Cup finals - and the first Scotland football team – men or women – to qualify for the tournament since 1998.

Chloe was filled with a huge sense of achievement, but it was tinged with sadness as she longed to celebrate the joyous moment with her late dad Gary.

Tragically, she was robbed of that experience.

Gary, 48, from Paisley, was one of 10 people killed in the Clutha disaster in Glasgow in 2013, when a police helicopter crashed into the pub on the banks of the River Clyde.

Chloe admits not a single day goes by when she doesn’t think of her dad.

And he has been in her thoughts more often than usual since she helped the Scots secure that coveted World Cup slot.

Chloe, who plays her club football for Birmingham City Women, said: “He would have loved to be here.

“I think about him every day anyway but he has crossed my mind a lot more recently.

“A lot of the time, my mum would take me to games and training but my dad was the football-minded one. He absolutely loved it and, when we qualified, I wish he could’ve been there to see it.

“He would’ve loved it and he would’ve come over to France for the finals. I know he would be so proud of me.”

Chloe is one of many people still waiting for answers about what led to the tragic events of November 29, 2013.

A long-awaited Fatal Accident Inquiry is due to be held next April, with the first preliminary hearing taking place next week at Hampden Park.

Chloe, a former Hibernian player, has happy memories of playing football with her dad.

“He was a patriotic Scot and he thought he was class at football,” said Chloe. “He was a really good player.

“Dad usually played in midfield for amateur teams as he was quite fast. We used to have kickabouts a lot and he would always give me things to work on.

“He always said he knew more about football than me!”

Chloe is also hugely grateful to mum Marie for supporting her football dream by providing a vital ‘taxi’ service to and from training, as well as offering encouragement from the sidelines.

“If it wasn’t for mum, I wouldn’t have been able to go to training,” she said. “Both mum and dad have been such an inspiration.”

Chloe, who joined FA Women’s Super League side Birmingham City in the summer, came on as a substitute against Albania and admits it was an “unbelievable” feeling to be on the pitch as it was confirmed qualification had been sealed.

It was a determined campaign which saw the Scots recover from losing positions four times, earning them the tag of ‘comeback queens.’

After qualifying for their first European Championships in 2017, it seems that this Scotland squad believe nothing is beyond them.

And Chloe believes the sky is the limit as she keeps her fingers crossed for selection to the squad that will compete on a global stage in France.

She added: “If we take one game at a time, we can achieve our goal.

“I’m sure we can go far because we have some really great individuals."