I WON’T LET 1ST BE LAST

THE standards Stephen O’Donnell set himself in his first season at Kilmarnock shone through on his Scotland debut.

The Rugby Park full-back has refused to accept platitudes for making his senior international breakthrough at the age of 26 in the game against Peru.

He became the first Killie player to start a game for Scotland since Ian Durrant in 1999 but rather than bask in the achievement he has raised questions about his future at this level.

It’s a mark of the professionalism that has seen him forge a career at the highest level after rejection as a kid by Celtic before he built his reputation with Partick Thistle and Luton.

Scotland take on another country bound for the World Cup in Mexico at the fabled Azteca tonight and with 90,000 local fans coming to give their favourites and emotional send-off for Russia – but O’Donnell won’t play the grateful visitor.

He said: “It would have been nicer to mark my first appearance with a win against Peru or something to look back on with real satisfaction.

“In years to come maybe I will reflect and feel a lot happier and prouder but right now I feel a bit disappointed. We weren’t able to impose ourselves on the game and give the fans who made a ridiculous effort to travel to Lima something to get behind.

“Hopefully in Mexico we will give them something to cheer. Would people rather I stood here and said I was delighted or that it was all about me?

“We lost 2-0 and it’s in my nature to want to win wherever I play. It’s the same at Kilmarnock when we are beaten there. It’s nice if you have played well, it softens the blow slightly but we need to strive to be better.

“It’s for other people to say if I can fill the right-back position. I enjoyed the experience and I hope it’s the first and not the last but I’m under no illusions.

“Some top-class players pulled out for me to get this opportunity and I only hope I’ve made the manager aware I won’t let him down.

“If the opportunity comes up to play against Mexico I want to make the most of it.

“Will there be other chances? I don’t know if I did enough personally against Peru to feel confident about that. I worked hard, I felt I did an okay job, but we were ultimately beaten.

“It’s a different experience. I’ve enjoyed being away with the boys and they’ve all been great.

“I’d love to be involved in more but James Forrest and Ryan Fraser aren’t even on this trip and both are top-quality players at the highest level.

“I will hopefully do myself justice in training and any time I play and if I’m involved in the next one what will be will be.

“I go back to club football with a good manager in Steve Clarke and hopefully I’ve made progress to get to this level.

“I need to do my best for KIlmarnock and I hope I did my club proud and my family proud but it’s something I would never take for granted.”