Kenny is just loving the hard life right now
Kenny McLean is about to experience two of the hardest games in world football.
The midfielder will line up for Scotland against Belgium tomorrow night, then return to Norwich City and prepare to face Manchester City.
It has to be the most challenging week of the 27-year-old’s career.
He said: “Belgium are the best team in the world. They have unbelievable quality throughout the squad, so it’s going to be really difficult
“It’s Manchester City next with my club, which isn’t going to be easy, but it will be exciting.
“Liverpool was a tough start to the season. Going to Anfield was in at the deep end, but we had to go there at some time. We came out of that with credit.
“It’s an unbelievable experience to play in the Premier League and we are there on merit.
“I think playing against a high level of player like that will help me when it comes to Scotland.
“I got a taste of that in Belgium with Scotland at the end of last season.
“The difference is that one mistake will punish you. You can’t afford to make any.”
The former St Mirren and Aberdeen man appeared as a substitute in Friday’s disappointing defeat to Russia at Hampden.
He doesn’t accept that all hope of qualifying from Group I has gone.
He said: “We can’t think like that. We’ve put ourselves in this situation and it’s up to us to get out of it.
“We go into games against Belgium and Russia away to win them. I think we have the quality to do that.
“At times, we showed that on Friday night.
“They were better, the scoreline reflects that. But in terms of thinking, they are ahead of us.
“I just don’t think you can go into games with that mentality.
“That’s especially true at Hampden. “We need to be looking at winning games.
“We know how hard it’s going to be against Belgium, but we looked at the group before any of the games and though about where we could pick up points.
“Hampden was a place we believed we could do that.”