McKenna: Failed move in the summer turned into a nightmare

ABERDEEN defender Scott McKenna admits he worked for an entire year to secure a dream move to England – only for it to turn into a nightmare summer.

After the Dons rejected a £7 million bid from Aston Villa in summer 2018 the Scotland cap bust a gut for his club in the hope of a lucrative transfer.

However, that dream turned sour in the summer transfer window when Aberdeen rejected bids from Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and QPR.

McKenna is back in the Scotland set-up, having missed the previous two squads with a hamstring tear.

Asked if the transfer request still stands, he said: “No. That was something that was in a few months ago but as soon as the window closed, my attention was back on Aberdeen.

“I just need to keep my head down and see what happens come January.”

He added: “It was a very hard decision.

“Aberdeen gave me my chance and have been absolutely brilliant with me.

“But I had been building up for that for a year in the hope of a move and it just didn’t seem to be happening.”

Now with the Scotland squad ahead of their Euro 2020 qualifiers against Cyprus and Kazakhstan, the defender admits the uncertainty over his future, and his transfer request, were tough to balance.

He said: “The summer was probably the worst for me. There was maybe a bit of expectancy for it to happen whereas before it just kind of happened.

“When you have been working for the full year, building up to that point that you thought was going to be this time, there was that wee bit of disappointment.

“As frustrating as it can be, there is absolutely nothing I can do about it, apart from trying to play well.”

Defender Scott McKenna is with the Scotland squad.