McInnes will fend off McKenna suitors

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes admits he expects to have to fend off fresh offers for defender Scott McKenna this summer.

The 21-year-old this week capped an impressive breakthrough season with a PFA Scotland young player-of-the-year award nomination.

But McInnes knows that will only alert fresh suitors to the new Scotland cap’s burgeoning potential, having knocked back bids from Hull in January.

However, with McKenna tied down on a new deal until 2023, McInnes is confident he will be able to persuade the centre-back to continue his footballing education with the Reds.

He said: “Next season people will be looking at him a bit closer because the spotlight has been on him, so it is up to Scott to replicate his form and that is the challenge for him and for any young player.

“There will be challenges ahead. We will get offers, as we have done in the past, but we can decide with Scott what is best for him.

“Thankfully, Scott has re-signed and he has the maturity and patience to remain here. He also has the intelligence to know that he is far from the finished article.

“He will gain experiences good and bad. We will make him a more rounded player and we will make him more ready for what he will face in the future.

“Scott can also get a lot of that experience through international football now that Alex McLeish has made him a firm part of the Scotland set-up. But he can also get highly competitive games here and hopefully European football.

“He will play a key part in key games, especially the ones coming up.”

Scott McKenna: Attracting attention after breakthrough season