The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Former Dens star calls for positive approach
Former Dundee midfielder Kevin McDonald believes Scotland’s quest to reach the 2020 European Championship starts with the friendly against Belgium on Friday night.
The World Cup semi-finalists are preparing for the Nations League opener against Albania on Monday night, a newly-formed Uefa tournament which acts as a second chance to reach the Euros.
The 29-year-old Carnoustie-born Fulham midfielder, whose one cap so far came against Costa Rica in a friendly at Hampden Park last March, acknowledged the prowess of the Red Devils but sees the match as the beginning of what he hopes will be a successful campaign.
The former Dark Blues player said: “We know it is a long campaign and it starts on Monday but in other ways it starts on Friday and we are building towards that.
“We have to go about our business in a positive way. We have a new squad here and it is all about getting game time together.
“We have a massive game coming up on Monday but Friday night will be the time to test things out and we have to go and put on a show and get the fans behind us. It is good to test yourself against this opposition, it’s what you want to do as a footballer. We are not going there to make up the numbers we are there to play.”
McDonald, who left Dundee for Burnley in a £500,000 deal in June 2008, is enjoying life in the Premier League after coming up from the Championship with Fulham last season.
He previously reached the top flight with Burnley but they were relegated the following season and McDonald knows more is expected of the London club, who spent more than £100 million during the summer transfer window.
He said: “It is much different this time. Definitely. It is so much more quicker, technical. At Burnley we kind of winged it a bit and it didn’t pay off, we went straight back down which wasn’t the best.
“But this time, I am personally a lot more confident and as a team we are a lot more confident.
“When a club spends £100m that has just been promoted, there are definitely expectation levels. But we know within our team that first and foremost you have to stay up. That’s the way it is.”
Meanwhile Ally McCoist has backed Andy Robertson to take his place alongside Billy Bremner and Kenny Dalglish in the pantheon of Scotland’s greatest captains.
The former national team assistant boss believes Liverpool defender Robertson is the perfect choice to skipper the Scots.
And he believes the ex-Dundee United full-back can go on to carve out his place in history alongside some of the biggest names to have ever led out the country.
McCoist said: “He’s brilliant. I just love watching him. When you think four or five years ago Robertson was playing for Queen’s Park, it’s been a brilliant journey.
“He’s a wonderful choice as captain and what an example for younger kids to look at. There you go, from Queen’s Park to the Champions League final and now captaining your country. A brilliant story.
“He’s a guy who always leads by example and if you look at Scotland captains of the past, every one of them led by example, going back to Billy Bremner and all these guys.
“Wee Robertson will do just that. I speak to a lot of the Liverpool boys and they say he trains as he plays, which is a great example.
“It’s still very early in his career and clearly we all have high hopes for him but if he can follow in the footsteps of your Bremners, your Sounesses, your Browns, I’ll be delighted.
“It’s been a wee while since we had a really top, iconic Scottish player that we can all relate to and hold in great esteem. I am putting pressure on him here but he would be a hopeful target for us in the future to take that mantle.
“I just hope that with continued success we can be talking about him in the same way we do with a Kenny Dalglish or a Gordon McQueen – great Scotland players – and I’d be surprised if that wasn’t the case.”