'Their brains were mush' - Scotland's 'low maintenance' man Kenny McLean on team-mates Intel over France

It cannot be denied that Scotland were eviscerated by England and singed in Spain.

Scotland's Kenny McLean says he 'knows his role' in the national squad and is content that Steve Clarke knows he can rely on the Norwich City midfielder even as his game-ttime tends to be limited.(Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

To now be open to a flogging in France on Tuesday, to be brutal, could have you thinking masochism was displayed in arranging the friendlies either side of Thursday’s Euro 2024 loss in Seville. A 2-0 reverse that prevented Steve Clarke’s men bursting through the finish line for the German finals - and condemned them to two consecutive defeats for the first time in more than three years. It was back in 2019 they last endured three on the spin.

It is hard to overstate how difficult it will be for them to regroup for a hosting by a nation that sits second in the FIFA world ranking; 10 places above Spain and two ahead of England. Kenny McLean has witnessed first hand how playing France can bring pain. His Norwich City team-mates Shane Duffy and Adam Idah were in the Republic of side given a pounding in the Parc des Princes by Kyliane Mbappe et al last month. The experience that proved so painful the midfelder hasn’t been able to pick their brains about the challenge that awaits Scotland.

“Their brains are mush after that,” he said of the 2-0 with which the Irish were fortunate to escape. “Everybody wants to be playing against the best and when you come away with Scotland you get that opportunity. But our Irish lads at Norwich are still scarred by their games against them. [Although] it was 2-0 I think they took a bit of a battering. They spoke about a lot of their players. The quality – the names of [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Aurelien] Tchouameni, [Antoine] Griezmann and [Osmane] Dembele all came up. Every player they have is world class and that is something we look forward to. It’s about us putting ourselves up against the best but we have some top players who play at that level too.

“We will back ourselves to go and get a result. It’s a friendly, but we want to win every game. We have done so well to build good momentum as a squad and togetherness. Listen we won’t be shouting from the rooftops but we know the quality and ability we have in this changing room. Throw in that togetherness and the way we fight for each other and we have a chance against anybody. We know it’s going to be a tough task.”

No member of Clarke’s squad symbolises that togetherness more than McLean. The 31-year-old rarely starts for his country - he has featured in the country’s first XI only five times over the past three years - yet he is a central pillar of Clarke’s squad. His 89th minute winner in Norway in June to complete an outrageous, three-minute, two goal act of larceny, could turn out to be the most important netted in this journey to Euro 2024. He will also be forever remembered as the man who tucked away the Nations League play-off final shoot-out penalty in Serbia almost three years ago that ended the country’s two-decade plus exile. More than that, McLean’s team-first philosophy that does not leave him narky about being unable to dislodge such as Callum McGregor, Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour makes him the sort of committed, capable, low maintenance good-vibe spreader invaluable to Clarke. Reflected in Scotland manager’s tendency both to talk up McLean and reward him with minutes in most games.

“I hope I am low maintenance, although maybe the manager will tell you otherwise…” he said, with a chuckle. “When you are part of a successful team as we are, then everybody knows that it is not just about the XI on the pitch. There is so much more that goes on. The manager has built this squad and he has stuck with it for the last couple of years because he trusts everybody. There will be wee changes here and there because of form but I have the backing of him and he has proved that by bringing me on in games. I just try to do as much as I can and that’s what I always do.”

Karma owes McLean an active role in Germany next summer. Anything other than Norway defeating Spain on Sunday evening confirming Scotland’s participation in a second straight Euros. However, the 2024 event would be a first opportunity for the former St Mirren midfielder to sample such a jamboree after a knee ligament injury in his club’s closing league game ruling him out of the 2021-staged pandemic-delayed Euro 2020 finals. McLean last month signed a new deal with the Carrow Road side amid enticement from Leeds United. It commits him to the club for the next three years, with a further year option. And for the Glaswegian, what he wants from 2024 is to play his part in taking Norwich to the top flight for a third time before heading off with Clarke’s squad to Germany. Doing so as probably a support player isn’t an issue for him.

“I had that disappointment with the last Euros but I am all about what we do as a nation and as a team,” he said. “I was happy to play my part leading up to it. But it wasn’t about me. We earned the chance to qualify and it was great for the lads to get that deserved chance. I have played my part again and to go there again would maybe mean that bit more to me because I missed out last time. Touch wood I can stay fit and healthy and I will get the opportunity to be there. I am 31 now. If I am not starting I am not going to spit the dummy. I know my role in the squad and within the team. I will come and help as much as I can and draw on experience to help the others. We have a very strong midfield so I don’t turn up expecting to play too many games. But the manager knows he can rely on me and I have shown that when I have been given the opportunity.” McLean can do no more.