Scariest white knuckle ride in football
(No, not our qualification bid – the bus journey out of Shkoder)
SCOTT McKENNA reckons surviving the Highway to Hell has put Scotland in the fast lane all the way to the Euros.
The big defender revealed the national squad had a nightmare journey back from Albania following Saturday night’s impressive 4-0 win.
The trek to Tirana was hair-raising – but the tune from the back of the bus made his ears bleed.
McKenna managed to hang on and he is convinced Scotland are on the right road to the Nations League play-offs ahead of tonight’s clash with Israel.
He said: “We were driving up the wrong side of the road with a police escort, going round blind corners and that!
“We made it back and we got home safe so that was the main thing. The right lane was full of buses so we were going down past them.
“There were cars coming the opposite way that had to go off the road to pass us. We got there in the end. But it wasn’t great to be honest.
“The mood on the bus was obviously good though. The louder ones up the back of the bus had all the bam tunes on, all the Glasgow boys.
“You know what they’re like. It’s not really my cup of tea, that music. We don’t get that in Forfar! I’d go for something a bit calmer but upbeat. Not GBX or Zander Nation.”
McKenna admitted Scotland needed that win at the weekend and team spirit couldn’t be better – even with the dodgy DJs on the bus.
All the pre-match talk of unrest in the camp was shattered as the squad partied on and off the pitch.
McKenna said: “It was just delight from everyone to celebrate with each other. The manner in which we did it was great.
“We scored four goals and showed a lot of creativity in the final third so it was an excellent night for us all.
“The clean sheet was great for the defenders. That’s something we take extra pride in. That made it even better.”
McKenna might not raise his voice about the choice of music but he’s not shy about having his say on the pitch.
The 22-year-old Aberdeen ace has only got seven caps but is already one of Alex McLeish’s on-field generals and he was happy to play a leading role with international newcomer David Bates alongside him in Shkoder.
McKenna said: “I’m still quite young and I’ve only got seven caps. But Batesy came in beside me and didn’t look one bit out of place. I thought it was an excellent debut.
“We can complement each other. The key to it is communication and helping each other out. We limited their chances and I don’t think Allan McGregor really had a save to make in the game.
“Batesy is a great guy. I spoke to him on his first day in the squad and we got on right away. Sometimes people feel someone is coming to take your position but he was fine.”
McKenna and Bates were rock solid in Albania but it was the guys at the other end of the pitch who impressed the Pittodrie star.
He admitted it was a thrill to finally team up with Steven Fletcher after getting the runaround from the hitman as a kid.
Pics hit the internet in recent days of a fresh-faced McKenna trying to do a marking job on the veteran frontman when Scotland were in the north east five years ago.
He said: “I actually remember that day. The Scotland squad were up in Aberdeen ahead of a game with Estonia.
“We were taken in to shadow and it was the back four working against the strikers. I remember Mark McGhee telling us we weren’t there just to muck about or make up the numbers. We were to get stuck in to them. Marcus Campanile, one of the young boys who was at Aberdeen, flattened Charlie Adam. We got told to calm down after that.
“I was trying to get to Stevie but I couldn’t get near him. Saturday was the first time I have played alongside him.
“To show that quality after not being in the squad for a while was brilliant. His link-up play was superb.”
Fletch helped make the side tick on Saturday and the challenge is now to fire again tonight against Israel. Scotland’s task is simple – and the rewards are massive. McKenna said: “We know how much it would mean to everyone. “We need to win the game to top the group. It makes our job easier.”