Long season no barrier to Hendry

SCOTLAND defender Jack Hendry insists he will never let the effects of a long season stop him turning up and giving his all for his national team.

Manager Steve Clarke claimed after Tuesday’s 4-1 Nations League victory in Armenia that fatigue had been a factor in their below-par June showing.

Hendry (inset) has been an ever-present in Scotland’s four-game schedule, coming off the bench in the World Cup play-off defeat to Ukraine and starting the wins over Armenia and the 3-0 defeat by the Republic of Ireland.

The Club Brugge player admits he and his teammates “let their country down” with some of their performances this month.

But the 27-year-old vowed to keep digging deep for his national team in future post-season programmes.

The former Celtic player said: “To be honest, it’s part and parcel of being an international footballer. With this Nations League now, it is difficult. But you are representing your country. For me, I am extremely proud. You are trying to put on a display for the nation and make them proud and it means everything to me.

“It doesn’t matter how many games I played during the season, I would still come and give my all and try to represent the country the best I could. “Unfortunately, we feel in a couple of games we have let the country down but hopefully we learn from that now and we move on.

“It’s about rolling our sleeves up, getting on with it, and if, for example, we need to play in a different position or adapt to certain things, then we have got to do it and have got to stick together.”