McLaren fired up for Scotland trip
Auchterarder’s Connor McLaren is limbering up for a crack at the UEFA Futsal Euro 2022 qualifiers with the Scotland team.
The Perth Saltires player is one of many from Perthshire who will carry on the region’s proud history of representing the national side.
McLaren and Co head for Belgium on Tuesday (today) ahead of the competitive group stage action beginning on Wednesday.
Coupled with playing hosts Belgium, the Scots have been preparing themselves to come up against Montenegro and Armenia.
Group winners progress directly to the qualifying group stage - played home and away in 2021 - to join 16 teams given byes.
The nine runners-up and five best third-placed teams enter the qualifying play-offs in April for the remaining seven qualifying group spots.
McLaren, who plays his football with Jeanfield Swifts, realises the size of the task facing the Scottish squad. And he knows performance levels from all in the team will need to be at optimum level in order to achieve positive results.
“I feel the expectations going into the qualifiers have to be to get points on the board first by turning good performances into results,” McLaren told the PA.
“On a personal note I want to score more goals and contribute with assists too.
“To be honest I’m not sure what to expect from the opposition as I have not seen them play. But no doubt they will be of a high standard and it will be a tough test.
“It’s all about recovery when you are playing three games in a week as they do take a lot out of you. I’m sure it will be pretty relaxed when we are not playing.”
McLaren was part of the Scotland team which recently finished bottom of the table at the Home Nations with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
But he noticed enough positives to head into the
Euro qualifiers with renewed optimism, saying: “Preparations have been going well.
“The Home Nations was disappointing resultswise but individual performances are improving and everyone’s learning all the time.”
On the futsal club front, McLaren has been starring for reigning Scottish Super League champions PYF Saltires this season, who remain unbeaten.
Also in the Scottish squad and heading to Belgium from the Perth club are Scott Smith, Kyle Ballingall, Bradley Steedman and Ahmed Aloulou.
McLaren feels his futsal has been taken to the next level thanks to playing with Saltires, a team which created history at the Champions League last year.
They became the first Scottish club to win a match at European level having defeated Lynx FC from Gibraltar in the Netherlands.
In the squad from Fair City Santos and who also hail from Perthshire are Fraser Smith, Alan Cunningham, Mark Duigan, Dayle Robertson and Ben O’Hanlon.
“Playing with Saltires suits me down to the ground as we probably play the best stuff in the league,” McLaren explained to the Perthshire Advertiser.
“Kyle and Scott Ballingall know the game and it’s definitely improved me personally.
“And I feel I am improving every time I go away with Scotland as I’m always learning and really just want to continue scoring goals.”