Somerset spark
ABERDEEN ON TOUR HONEST TRUTHS Being dropped by Ayr gave me jolt I needed to be Pittodrie star says Scott
SCOTT McKENNA believes he can go from part-time struggler to senior Scotland star.
The Aberdeen defender is determined to progress as far as he can in the game after making a key breakthrough at Pittodrie.
McKenna has forced his way into Derek McInnes’s top-team plans and been rewarded with a new long-term contract that ties him to the Pittodrie club until 2021.
The 21-year-old can now focus on shooting for the stars after learning a valuable lesson about what can happen when you let standards drop.
Last season McKenna was back on loan for a second stint at Ayr United having also been allowed to join Alloa on a temporary basis over the past couple of campaigns.
With Ayr operating on a part-time basis the defender was training at both his parent and loan clubs at different points during the week.
McKenna struggled to find his best and at one stage was bombed out of the matchday squad by Somerset Park boss Ian McCall.
The stopper realised he had to step up to the plate and said: “Part-time football means you turn up for training on Tuesday and Thursday nights and have a day job.
“I was training with Aberdeen on a Monday and Tuesday and have a Wednesday off. I’d go down to Glasgow on a Thursday, train that night, have Friday off and then be in for a game on a Saturday.
“Being off the day before a game wasn’t ideal either. It wasn’t what I was used to but I can’t use that as an excuse for not playing well.
“I had been at Ayr before and knew what to expect but there was one week when I didn’t even make the bench.
“I knew I had only one year left on my Aberdeen contract and realised I had to make the most of it.
“In pre-season I was determined to work as hard as I could to get into the team. I have a bit of security here now and that’s good for the long term.
“I don’t know what has been different this year. Maybe I’m seeing the benefits of a good pre-season.
“The manager told me I was playing in a league game at Motherwell and I wasn’t nervous, I thought it was a chance to show what I could do. There was no point being uptight. If I didn’t play well then I didn’t play well. “But I did OK and I’ve managed to stay in the team since.” Now McInnes hopes to become a regular top-team star. With Scotland not having a host of centre-backs to choose from the Reds ace is also eyeing senior recognition with the national team. McKenna was skipper of the Scotland Under-19s side and also won five caps for the Under-21 team as he rose through the ranks in the Granite City.
He sees a pathway to the senior squad and said: “I’ve got to keep doing what I do and hopefully I can force my way into that scene in the next couple of years or whenever the manager feels the time is right.
“There are a lot of good centrehalves out there. John Souttar, Ross McCrorie and Jack Hendry have done well and there are others in the English Championship playing at a good level.
“If you get in the Under-19 squad you want to make the 21s.
“Then in the 21s you think about the next step and pushing to the A squad.”
For the time being it’s about McKenna cementing his position in McInnes’ team. He is with the squad at their mid-season camp in Dubai and admits even being on the trip proves he is making progress.
Last term he was ploughing away in the freezing conditions and lower leagues while Dons team-mates were lapping up the Middle East sunshine.
Now McKenna is part of the set-up and the opportunity is another reminder of what he can gain if he keeps his career on the up.
He said: “It’s far better training here than it is in the freezing cold.
“I missed Dubai last year as I was out on loan at Ayr. I had Queen of the South away!
“I maybe wasn’t playing as well as I should have been down at Ayr but I had to put that behind me and force my way into he manager’s plans here.”