The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Good form for Saints can see Wotherspoon win more caps
Making international debut was a ‘fantastic experience’, says midfielder who wants further involvement
David Wotherspoon knows that if he is to realise his dream of playing more international football for Canada, he will have to be at his best for club St Johnstone.
The 28-year-old was handed his debut for the Canucks in a friendly against New Zealand in Spain last weekend by new national coach John Herdman.
Canada won 1-0 with Wotherspoon admitting he received a big confidence boost being on international duty – something he is looking to take into this afternoon’s game against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
Wotherspoon, who missed Wednesday night’s defeat of Hamilton at McDiarmid through suspension, said: “It was a fantastic experience, the whole thing was brilliant.
“The manager just told us to go away and do well for our clubs then he will choose his next squad from there.
“There are a lot of players he can choose from though and the next games are not until September, so I know I’ve got to do well here for it to happen.
“There are CONCACAF Nations League games against St Kitts, the Virgin Islands, Dominica and French Guiana coming up.
“I would love to be involved, it would be exciting and it’s a great chance to see parts of the world you wouldn’t normally see.
“But the football is the main aspect. It was exciting being involved at that level and knowing there is a chance to play in more matches is great.
“I have taken a lot of confidence from it. Hopefully I can transfer that into my form for us.
“The manager said he will be having a look to see how I get on. They are very professional and detailed in how they look at people.
“So I know I have to play well for Saints to stay in their thoughts for the games coming up.”
The Dons have held the upper hand in the two matches with St Johnstone so far this season, winning both 3-0.
However, Saints are currently on a three-match unbeaten run and Wotherspoon is looking for that to continue in the Granite City with his side still having an outside chance of making the top six.
He added: “It has been frustrating against Aberdeen but we will go there on the back of a few good results lately.
“If we can win there we can put the teams above us under a bit of pressure.
“We are looking back to what we’re known for – we are hassling teams again and playing with a lot of energy.
“The top six isn’t impossible. We would need things to fall into place for us but all we can do is win our matches and see what happens.
“So we will go to Aberdeen looking to get a win and if we can do that we can watch Hearts on the Sunday knowing we’ve done our bit.”
Meanwhile, Wotherspoon’s boss, Tommy Wright, is hoping his side can extend their unbeaten run at a venue where they have had a good record in recent previous seasons.
The manager said: “Of all the games we have played this season the most frustrating have been the ones against Aberdeen.
“We have always done well against them in previous years but they have beaten us comprehensively twice.
“We probably had a wee spell for 20 minutes against them when it was 2-0 in the game here but we haven’t performed
anywhere near what we can. So it has been disappointing but we do look like we’re performing back to the level we’re capable of.
“The last month or so has been encouraging, not just with results but the performances so hopefully we can take that into the game up there this weekend.
“It’s always tough up there because Derek has some top players in his team, but we have won there in the past so hopefully we can do that again.
“It’s going to be tough to get into the top six because we are relying on other things happening.
“But if we can go to Aberdeen and win then it would put a wee bit of pressure on Hearts the following day.”
Meanwhile, Dons boss Derek McInnes senses the “inspirational” Scott McKenna has the same determination to hold on to his Scotland jersey as he has shown at club level.
McKenna continued his rapid rise by performing well for Scotland against Costa Rica and Hungary over the past week.
The 21-year-old’s international debut came a year after he was unable to break into the Ayr team as they laboured at the foot of the Ladbrokes Championship.
The centre-back returned from his unhappy loan spell to transform his fortunes with the help of an impressive showing for Scotland Under-21s and a winning recall to the Aberdeen team at Motherwell in September.
And McInnes has been most encouraged by the way McKenna refuses to rest on his laurels.
“Sometimes a lot of youngsters up and down the country in different clubs get into the first-team environment, whether it’s off the bench or a couple of starts, and they almost take a breath and think ‘this is good’,” said the Aberdeen manager.
“But to actually come in and cement a place and establish himself like Scott isn’t always the norm and it’s that bit more of a challenge.
“Scott came into the team and grabbed his chance and he is determined not to let anybody get his shirt. He has shown that over the past six months, he has been flawless.
“Without pre-empting anything, he has done himself no harm of being involved in future squads.
“Some youngsters physically aren’t ready to play week in, week out. Scott clearly is with all the good work he has done in the gym and off the pitch.
“For a lot of our youngsters, it must be an inspiration to see Scott McKenna come in and absolutely establish himself in the team. We all like to see young players coming through, and to see him going straight into the international setup is inspirational for all our youngsters and it shows what can be done.”
McKenna was joined by Pittodrie team-mates Ryan Christie and Kenny McLean on the pitch in Budapest on Tuesday.
“I’m glad there are players doing their bit representing Aberdeen and hopefully there’s more to come in the future,” added McInnes.