Russell would rather do countless air miles than rule himself out of duty
TOMORROW morning’s journey back across the Atlantic will see Johnny Russell clock up an exhausting 13,000 miles over six flights in just over a week. It is not uncommon for such trips to involve 20 hours straight on the road with a club game to play at the other end.
This one, at least, is hardly likely to be spent floating on air over the happy memories of a rewarding return home.
Yet, despite everything that has unfolded during a damaging and dispiriting spell for the national side and its manager Alex McLeish, Russell insists there is no way he would even consider joining the growing trend of players seeking to pick and choose when they turn out for Scotland due to fitness issues.
Leigh Griffiths sparked a traumatic week by withdrawing from the squad for the trip to Israel and today’s uninspiring Hampden friendly with Portugal to train at Celtic’s Lennoxtown HQ instead. James McArthur plays pretty much every week in the English Premier League with Crystal Palace, but has not been involved in McLeish’s tenure as a result of managing a back problem.
Even Steven Naismith was among those who asked for an exemption from the summer tour of Peru and Mexico while former captain Scott Brown, after a period of taking it from game to game, walked away altogether after Gordon Strachan had been bulleted as boss.
Russell has an important game in Vancouver with Sporting Kansas City late on Wednesday evening as his club seek to secure a strong position in the Major League Soccer end-of-season play-offs. With recovery likely to be an issue, he would be excused for requesting a limited amount of game time — if any at all — in this evening’s visit of Fernando Santos’ side.
He’ll do nothing of the sort, though. Russell is all-in when it comes to McLeish’s faltering bid to get the nation to Euro 2020. He has spent so long on the outside looking in that every opportunity to wear dark blue will be taken no matter the politics playing out behind the scenes. He will not be demanding any special treatment.
‘It would never be something I would bring up. I am not in the position to say that,’ said the former Dundee United and Derby County man. ‘I will play as many minutes as I can when I’m asked to. It doesn’t matter to me when it is. ‘Yes, it is a short turnaround, but it is something I have been used to. I played in the (English) Championship for five years. The travelling can be a bit of a hassle, but it is not a problem for me. ‘I will leave here on Monday morning, get to Vancouver around 11 o’clock Monday night, train Tuesday and game Wednesday (against the Whitecaps). It is a short turnaround, but I am still young and fit and I will be all right. ‘I’d never pick and choose. Any chance I get to play for my country, I’ll be there. ‘The travelling would never have an effect on that. You don’t know how short your career is going to be — especially in terms of playing for your country.’ Try telling that to Griffiths. Aged 28, just like Russell, the Celtic striker has cast real doubt over his Scotland future with his conduct over the past week. Russell hopes he will be back into the fold for next month’s crucial double-header with Albania and Israel, but makes a point of stating that no striker can afford to believe he is a ready-made starter in McLeish’s side. ‘There have been plenty of times when I have been disappointed not to have played or to have been selected,’ he said. ‘I missed out for so long before getting back in, so I know first-hand that you can’t take anything for granted and I wouldn’t. ‘We’d like to have Leigh here. He has goals in him and you need goals. I wouldn’t say (what happened with Griffiths) has brought any awkwardness. ‘If he doesn’t feel he can do himself or us justice with the way he is feeling at the minute, and if he feels he needs time, I think he has made the right decision. ‘I think it is good that there are no guarantees on boys starting. It keeps everyone on their toes. Griff is more of an all-out No 9, an out-and-out striker. Naisy and I can fill in at a few positions. There is room for change in there and that is maybe what the manager’s thinking was.’ In any case, Russell is learning to deal with being a man depended upon to deliver when it matters. Sporting Kansas City fans have a huge ‘Russell-Mania’ banner they flew for the first time at last weekend’s 1-1 home draw with LA Galaxy and their Swedish talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, which guaranteed a spot in the play-offs. Russell — whose late equaliser cancelled out Ibrahimovic’s opener — became an internet sensation when a clip of him giving away his shirt at full-time to a tearful little girl celebrating her birthday went viral. He is a main man at Sporting Kansas City and is happy shouldering that responsibility. ‘They didn’t score too many goals last season and wanted me to be a part of helping with that,’ he said. ‘It is a pressure I’ve enjoyed. It has given a lift to my game and helped me get back to top form. ‘I have scored in a couple of the bigger games and we needed a goal last weekend. I managed to find it at the right time. I don’t know if you could ever put Zlatan in the shade, though. Zlatan’s Zlatan, isn’t he? He’s a character. ‘The clip with that little girl went mental. I had seen her before the game, shook her hand and said: “Happy Birthday”. ‘After the game, I gave her my top as a wee birthday present. It’s not as if I’m Lionel Messi, but it was nice it meant that much to her.’