SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell last night admitted he would have had no reservations about “pushing the button” on Hampden – before Lord Haughey offered to help buy the world-famous stadium.

The SFA board have spent recent months in negotiations with current stadium owners Queen’s Park about buying the world-famous venue when their current lease expires after the Euro 2020 finals.

However, the two parties had been unable to settle on a price and the possibility of staging Scotland football internationals as well as cup semi-finals and finals at Murrayfield had become a very real one.

Maxwell has admitted that he would have been prepared to call time on Hampden – which has hosted showpiece games since way back in 1906 - if he had believed it was in the best interests of the game in this country.

“To be honest, it wouldn’t have bothered me to push the button the leave Hampden if I thought it was the right decision,” he said. “I genuinely mean that. People might say that’s easy to say now because I’m not pushing that button.

“But I could have sat here and made just as compelling a case to go to Murrayfield because of the way they put their case forward and the different opportunities that would have given us.

But Lord Haughey, the wealthy Scottish businessman, has offered to put up £2.5 million of the £5 million that Queen’s Park were looking for and an agreement has been reached.

“Willie’s involvement was instrumental in getting the deal for the stadium over the line,” said Maxwell. “Willie’s money was more important in purchasing the stadium. The money comes to the SFA. As far as I am aware it’s a donation.

“Willie wanted to get involved. We didn’t put out a plea asking for help, Willie was kind enough to pick up the phone. He’s a proud Glaswegian, he played for Queen’s Park and wants the games to be played in the Glasgow area. And he was in a position to help.”

Asked if he thought a deal could have been agreed without Lord Haughey, he said: “It would have been a negotiation. Whether we would have got there or not, you are into hypotheticals.”

“All I know is Willie was instrumental in getting the deal done with Queen’s Park and I would have had no hesitation in sitting here saying we are going to Murrayfeld because of the offer they put together.”

Maxwell, the former Partick Thistle general manager who was appointed SFA chief executive in April, helped with the redevelopment of Hampden in 1998 when he was a part-time footballer with Ross County.

“I know there was an assumption that it was always going to be Hampden but in my head it was never going to be Hampden,” he said.

“This is somebody who played for Queen’s Park and when I worked for Tarmac when I was 20. I installed the seat units in the main stand before I went to training.

“I have a lot of history with this place but my job now is what’s best for Scottish football, what’s best for Alloa as much as it’s best for Queen’s Park and for the rest of the wider membership.”

“I was playing up at Ross County at the time working for Tarmac in the West of Scotland. They had a precast concrete factory. They got the job.

“They were actually doing the seats down south, but our factory ended up doing some and I ended up here installing the seating units at the stadium.”

Maxwell added: “I was asked earlier if is this a good day for Scottish football? It’s a monumental day for Scottish football, let’s not make any bones about that.

“We now own a national stadium which is a world-renowned asset.”