Martin Compston was among a sea of excited Scotland fans who descended on Munich on Friday, ahead of Scotland’s much-anticipated Euro 2024 opener against Germany.
The Line Of Duty actor, 40, who used to play professional football himself, mingled with fans outside the Allianz Arena.
Supporting his native Scotland, a delighted Martin was hoisted onto the shoulders of a gaggle of fans.
Martin, who currently appears in supernatural series The Rig, laughed and pointed as the crowd took photos of him.
The quadrennial sporting event kicked off in Munich on Friday but there will also be matches in Berlin, Dortmund, and Stuttgart.
Martin Compston, 40, got down and dirty with Euro fans in Munich at the first match of the competition: Scotland v Germany on Friday
The Line Of Duty actor, who used to play professional football himself, mingled with fans at the Allianz Arena
Supporting his native Scotland, a delighted Martin was hoisted onto the shoulders of a gaggle of fans
And Martin is not the only British showbiz star in Germany.
Television host Lorraine Kelly left her fans fuming when she shirked her ITV talk show in favour of the tournament.
Lorraine, 64, spoke to viewers via video link as Good Morning Britain’s Ranvir Singh was ‘roped in’ to cover Lorraine.
Also joining them are Sir Alex Ferguson to First Minister Jon Swinney who posed for photos alongside travelling pals.
On Friday, Berlin officers descended on a fanzone alongside bomb-sniffing dogs and disposal experts after a suspicious object was discovered in the viewing area just hours before kickoff.
And an ‘urgent’ update on Muenchen, Munich’s official portal, revealed there would be no screening in the square and the Olympic Park fanzone was also full.
Munich’s statement said: ‘Marienplatz is currently overcrowded. There will definitely be no public viewing there. Please spread out elsewhere in the city! The Fan Zone is also about to close due to overcrowding. Please do not go to the Olympic Park anymore!’
Police officers blocked off entrances to the square to ensure emergency services could still get access if needed, while the city’s main train station was also shut
Martin, who currently appears in supernatural series The Rig, laughed and pointed as the crowd took photos of him
The quadrennial sporting event kicked off in Munich on Friday but there will also be matches in Berlin, Dortmund, and Stuttgart
The Scottish FA estimated back in March that 100,000 fans would travel to Germany, but there are now estimated to be double that figure in the country.
Up to 70,000 Scots were thought to have descended on Marienplatz today, and an estimated 150,000 are believed to be ticketless.
Many filled pubs and bars but no trouble has been reported, with the Scots largely creating a joyous atmosphere as they revel in a rare opportunity to travel abroad to see their team play in a major tournament.
Among them, Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson posed for photos alongside face-painted fans while he enjoyed a continental meal in the sun.
And even the usually-serious politicians made the most of the festivities, with First Minister John Swinney and Westminster SNP leader Stephen Flynn enjoyed a pre-match beer in a bar on Marienplatz square.
Elsewhere, former First Minister and current leader of the Alba Party Alex Salmond was spotted taking part in the festivities as he posed up with other Scotland fans while eagerly brandishing a bottle of scotch whisky. He was later seen joining other members of the Tartan Army in a football chant before lighting up a cigar amid a huge crowd.
Scotland played in Euro 2020 but that was held in several different countries and there were also travel restrictions due to the pandemic.
Before that, their country had not qualified for a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France.
When Scotland qualified in 2020, Martin popped open a bottle of champagne with his Line Of Duty co-stars while Andy, now 37, recorded the final penalty on Instagram (pictured)
The following May, Martin shared another video, this one from the Line Of Duty set, showing the actor jumping around with sheer elation when Scotland beat Serbia to qualify
When Scotland beat Serbia in 2020, Martin joined Sir Andy Murray in celebration.
Martin popped open a bottle of champagne and enjoyed it with his Line Of Duty co-stars in a pub.
At home, Andy, 37, recorded for his Instagram the moment the final penalty was taken in the shoot out.
The following May, Martin shared another video, this one from the Line Of Duty set showing the actor jumping around with sheer elation.
He had held off from sharing the video till then in case it contained any accidental spoilers for fans.
Martin captioned his post: ‘With a potential ep 2 epaulettes spoiler out the way, I can reveal what happens when you’re in the middle of raiding bent coppers but Scotland are in a penalty shoot out to end 20 year of heartache…. #yessirwecanboogie.’
Scotland vs. Germany kicks off at 8pm BST.
