GMS keen for recall

GARY MACKAY-STEVEN admits he’d happily fly halfway around the world just to sit on the bench for Scotland.

In an era where players pulling out of squads to nurse slight niggles and knocks is commonplace, the New York City winger insists it would take a lot more than that to rule him out.

Despite playing in the MLS, Mackay-Steven remains fully committed to Steve Clarke’s side, should he be called up. And he says it would be a privilege to be asked to pull on the dark blue jersey once more.

But the former Celtic and Aberdeen man knows that to earn his third appearance in international football, he has to be willing to fight.

“I still have high ambitions for my country,” MackaySteven said. “I think it’s the pinnacle of your career. The team Steve Clarke has inherited, a lot of the boys know very well and their qualities. Great things are happening and the opportunities coming up are exciting. First and foremost you need to be playing well for your club and be at the top of your game, but I feel like I still have a lot to offer.

“It’s great to see the national team is in such a good position going forward, there’s a lot of potential in every position, which is only a good thing. It would be great to be back involved, travelling doesn’t bother me – it would be an honour.”

Some players would have thought twice about a stateside switch as they approached the peak of their career – but Mackay-Steven insists that although it was not something he had planned for, the opportunity to move to the US was too good to turn down.

“I’d played a lot of years in Scotland and in Europe and leaving was not something I really had in my head,” he said. “Then I heard of interest and I’d have hated to look back on my career having not experienced different things. It really excited me, I felt the time was right to go and sample something new.

“So far, I’m really happy with the decision and can’t wait to kick on over here. It’s something fresh, new and each day is different and exciting.”

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