McKenna puts success above a silver medal with Scotland
SCOTT McKENNA stands just two matches away from a Scotland silver medal but is focusing only on the national team’s golden opportunity.
Sitting on 23 caps, the Nottingham Forest defender will hit the international milestone of 25 caps should he face Israel on Saturday and the Faroe Islands on Tuesday.
The suspension of Norwich City’s Grant Hanley offers a route into Steve Clarke’s team but the 24-year-old knows his way could be blocked by several other defensive options.
McKenna would not have it any other way, though, because tough competition for places enhances the chances of Scotland beating Israel to move within touching distance of a play-off for Qatar 2022.
‘I’m only a couple of appearances away from 25 caps and it would be a great achievement,’ said the former Aberdeen centre-half.
‘But I am not too fussed when that comes. I would rather it was sooner than later but I would rather be in a winning squad, with everyone doing well, than just focusing on myself.
‘Will Grant Hanley being banned open up a place? It might but Scott McTominay is back and we have Liam Cooper, Jack Hendry and Kieran Tierney.
‘There are lots of options for the manager to pick from. But it is far better having competition than lads playing because that is all that we have.
‘There are currently five or six players fighting for those positions and the team will be in a better position because of that.
‘It’s definitely difficult as a defender to stake a claim, especially if the team is playing with a settled defence and are not conceding goals.
‘The boys have been excellent in the last two games. We’ve had two clean sheets and I wouldn’t expect too much change.
‘When that happens, you can have absolutely no arguments. It is all about being ready, even during a game, so that you can come on and not disrupt things too much. If I am asked to play, I will be ready.’
Just 31,277 fans saw Clarke’s Hampden bow in charge of the national team as Oliver Burke’s late goal secured a 2-1 Euro 2020 qualifying win over Cyprus back in June 2019.
But fast-forward 28 months and Saturday night’s Group F clash will see the full Hampden Roar unleashed against an Israel side whose last two visits to Glasgow were played behind closed doors due to the global pandemic.
For McKenna, it is clear evidence of the progress made under Clarke.
‘A full house at Hampden is exciting,’ he said.
‘It’s a sign of how far we’ve come as a squad and a team that Hampden is now sold out for this one.
‘I remember when we played there against Israel in the Nations League last September and how empty it was that night.
‘So this will be special and if we can get a positive result, it will put us in control of the group. Hopefully, we can get the business done.
‘There will be no better feeling than knowing there are 50,000 people behind you with everyone pulling in the same direction.’
Lyndon Dykes’ penalty against Austria last month earned a precious victory in Vienna. Scotland are now second in World Cup qualifying Group F, one point ahead of Israel and four in front of Austria.
Victory would put daylight between Clarke’s men and both their rivals for the play-off place behind runaway leaders Denmark. After Tuesday’s trip to the Faroes, Group Freaches a conclusion next month with an away fixture against Moldova before Denmark visit Hampden in the final game.
And McKenna wants the same kind of run that propelled Clarke’s Scots to Euro 2020 — the nation’s first major finals since France ’98 — in the bid to get to Qatar.
He said: ‘To get to the Euros I think we went nine games unbeaten.
‘So I think we now have to do something similar again to reach the World Cup. ‘It’s all about having that consistency and being hard to beat. That’s what will get us that play-off spot.
‘Coming off the back of the Austria result, we still have that buzz — and we want to carry that into this game against Israel.’