The Scotsman

Mcinnes praises Considine’s late Scotland breakthrou­gh as ‘a brilliant story for perseveran­ce and being profession­al’

- By GAVIN MCCAFFERTY

Aberdeen manager Derek Mcinnes has hailed Scotland newcomer Andy Considine as the perfect example of what can be achieved through perseveran­ce.

Considine was overlooked for Scotland squads despite putting in consistent performanc­es for the Dons over a long period and his internatio­nal prospects looked gone.

However, the 33- year-old won a late call-up last week and put in two excellent displays as Steve Clarke' s team kept clean sheets and secured wins against Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

"It is a reward for his perseveran­ce and now maybe the perception of big Andy for others is different because of how he has performed in a Scotland shirt," Mcinnes said.

"But anyone who watches us regularly would see those two performanc­es would see they were very like an Andy Considine performanc­e, just in a dark blue jersey.

"We are all delighted for him because we do feel it is something he has worked towards and he's managed to achieve something that was always very important to him. Hopefully he will go on to win many more on the back of his two performanc­es."

Cons idi ne saw Pit to drie team-mates such as Mi key Devlin, Scott Mckenna, Mark Reynolds, Graeme Shinnie, Ryan Jack, Ryan Christie and Kenny Mclean win caps while at the club before he finally got his chance.

Mcinnes said: "We have had a lot of players go away with their country and it's always with a sense of pride. And Andy has always came in in internatio­nal breaks, done his work, ticked himself over, and there has always been that conversati­on with him, 'Keep going, next time around, you never know, keep playing away'.

"You need that bit of good fortune as well, the fact that there is a back five now, the fact Mckenna was out. Andy has been playing in that position on the left of a back three all season and doing it very well.

"It is a good story for any player who consistent­ly get overlooked or take disappoint­ment, and try to channel it in the right way. It is a brilliant story for perseveran­ce, being profession­al, doing the right thing, and eventually people recognise what you are."

 ??  ?? 0 Andrew Considine: Put in two excellent performanc­es.
0 Andrew Considine: Put in two excellent performanc­es.

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