Maloney on fire for Chicago but always ready to go the extra mile for his country

TO play for Scotland at Hampden, Shaun Maloney will fly 500 miles. Then add a zero on the end. When Chicago Fire’s visit to the new home of San Jose Earthquakes ended in defeat on Sunday night, the 32-year-old confronted the reality of life in Major League Soccer. A 5,000 mile journey from California to Glasgow, lasting the best part of a day, for a midweek friendly with Northern Ireland followed by a Euro qualifier against Gibraltar. The crowds for both games will be modest. The financial rewards non-existent. Yet it took only a five-minute call to Gordon Strachan to convince him the jetlag was worth it. That the arrangement can work. ‘We had a conversation, which was pretty brief,’ said the man whose stunning goal against Ireland invigorated Scotland’s latest qualifying campaign. ‘But although it was brief, it was really important for me. ‘I asked him if it would have any detrimental effect on my international career (moving to the States) and he said: “No”. That was all I needed to know. ‘I absolutely love playing for my country. It makes me very, very proud and it’s an honour to do it and I will try my hardest to continue to make the squad, no matter what league I’m in.’ How he might feel when the air miles mount is another matter. There were closer options; significantly easier ways to add more caps to the display cabinet. Leaving troubled, relegationthreatened Wigan in January, there was a firm offer from Leicester City. Speaking during Celtic’s winter break to Gran Canaria, Ronny Deila had also expressed an interest in taking Maloney back to Parkhead. ‘I think the quotes by the Celtic manager were just him being very polite about me as a player,’ claimed Maloney. ‘I was a previous Celtic player. I didn’t think there was too much else in it. ‘There were options to stay in England, but I spoke to the manager and the owner in Chicago and I think my mind was pretty much made up in January. ‘You have to respect any club that offers you a contract in England or Scotland. But I really wanted to try this.’ He had been around the block in England and Scotland many times. Two spells at Celtic left nothing new to discover, other than a landscape with no Old Firm games. At Aston Villa and Wigan, he had also seen the contrasts of English football, winning an FA Cup medal before flirting with a relegation battle in the Championship. A £750,000 move to Leicester was close, but fell through. Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and Sears Tower were always appealing options. ‘I have always thought about playing in this league,’ he continued. ‘I think the timing just worked. It’s a completely different lifestyle, everything is new. The stadiums, the clubs I am playing against, everything. It’s all very exciting. ‘We had a disappointing year as a club last season and the play-offs are our ambition this year. I don’t think it’s beyond us.’ The early signs suggest otherwise. After three matches, Maloney has yet to play in a winning team and crossing the Atlantic to face Northern Ireland in a friendly is a big commitment. Without a point in the Eastern Conference, Fire host Philadelphia Union hours after Scotland’s qualifier with Gibraltar on Sunday without one of their prized, high-profile designated players. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Maloney insisted: ‘I will always make myself available for Scotland. We will cross the friendlies bridge as we come to it.’ His respect for Strachan is a factor. Effusive in his praise of his former Celtic manager, the player has new enthusiasm for international football. ‘The manager has been excellent,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t want to disrespect Craig Levein the previous manager at all. But the impact Gordon Strachan has had has been monumental. ‘The players have bought into the system that he wants and we have some outstanding players in Steven Fletcher and Steven Naismith at Everton. ‘I would probably put Scott Brown in that same category and then beyond that our manager is our biggest asset. We are very fortunate to have him.’ Asked if this is the best Scotland team in 20 years or so he is blunt. ‘Individually, we have probably had better players — or players playing at a higher level and more of them,’ he said. ‘But as a group and as a team there is a feeling about it I haven’t had in quite a long time. We are a good side. We played very well against Republic of Ireland and were brought down to earth a little bit against England. ‘But we have to realise what our strengths are and our weaknesses and try to get better. ‘Germany are still favourites to qualify with Poland second. After that, it’s between us, Ireland and Georgia for a spot in the top two or, if not, third place and a play-off. ‘Scotland against Ireland in Dublin is a big, big game and the result will have big ramifications for the group — as any game does now.’

The impact Gordon Strachan has had has been monumental