SCOTLAND v CYPRUS, 2 DAYS TO GO
SCOTT BURNS
THE self-proclaimed Lord Mayor of Norwich – Kenny McLean – wants to go from MD 20/20 to Euro 2020.
The Scotland midfielder took social media by storm with his full-on celebrations as Norwich sealed the Championship title and their return to the English Premier League last month.
The Canaries star was filmed under the influence of the flavoured tonic wine as he stole the Mayor’s hat and rang his bell out on the balcony.
McLean kept things going by naming himself the new major on Twitter and declaring a public holiday, although Norwich City Council got their own back by sacking him when he went on holiday to Dubai.
Now the 27-year-old has very much got his game head on and the only hat he is interested in is a Scotland cap and win in Saturday’s Euro qualifier against Cyprus at Hampden.
McLean said: “We have just been promoted and everybody is talking about the Major of Norwich!
“That was carnage and a mad few days. The celebrations got the better of me a wee bit but it was good.
“We deserved to enjoy ourselves for a few days and I maybe enjoyed it more than anybody else.
“It was good because the fans got involved with all the boys and it was an excellent few days to be a part of. “I just topped it off with a nice hat! “Just before the bus parade we were in the town hall and out on the balcony and the mayor was with us.
“His hat looked appealing. I stuck it on, took his bell and ended up out on the balcony.
“I had a few drinks in me and that didn’t help! It was just a special day that everybody will remember.
“The major had been tweeting me and asking for his hat back because I had it the whole night!
“I took it without his permission and then he played along with it.
“The supporters played along with it and we all had a good laugh, which was brilliant.
“They’ve taken it off me. I got a tweet when I was in Dubai last week, which was disappointing!”
McLean went down to Carrow Road last summer but frustratingly injury curtailed the first half of his season. It sport@dailyrecord.co.uk was just as well the Canaries were high-flying and went on to win the league, with McLean playing his part in the final three months.
The playmaker added: “We won 12 of our last 16 and drew four so it was incredible and we deserved it over the piece.
“I spoke to boys who are in the Scotland squad just now and playing in the Championship and they all said we deserved it.
“It was really good to be part of and now it’s up to the Prem.”
McLean joins a bolstered Scottish contingent in the English top flight.
He said: “You want to play at the highest level and there is nowhere higher than the Premier League in England.
“To test yourself against the best will be something to really look forward to.
“We’ve already got Andy Robertson who has done something special in winning the Champions League with Liverpool and we’ve got Ryan Fraser at Bournemouth and Stuart Armstrong at Southampton.
“It’s brilliant for Scotland to have Premier League players.
“There is also John Fleck at Sheffield United and John McGinn at Aston Villa so it’s brilliant for everybody.
“Im delighted for the other boys who are getting up.”
Now McLean and Scotland will also be hoping to ride on the wave of optimism that has been sparked by Steve Clarke’s appointment as boss.
McLean said: “When you get the honour of being called up for your national team your head is switched on right away, you’re on your game.
“We’ve got Cyprus and Belgium coming, with Cyprus first. We will be ready when it comes.
“We just hope the fans get right behind us in these two games. We know that they will.
“We have got some really exciting players here.
“They are players they will want to come and watch in the next few years. We’ve got two important games coming up that we know we can do really well in and push ourselves to the Championships.”
Clarke has already made an instant impression on his new charges.
McLean added: “We trained this morning and the gaffer will put his stamp on what he wants to do with the team.
“But I think everybody knows what’s expected. We want to do as well as we can going into every game individually. “We will take it one by one. We don’t want to go into games thinking there are superior teams to us. “We’re a very good team and can take maximum points from every game.”
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