McKenna Nears 50 Caps and Seeks to Repay Clarke's Trust
Scott McKenna is poised to reach a milestone of 50 senior international appearances this summer and aims to repay Scotland coach Steve Clarke's faith as the national team prepares for the World Cup.
The 29-year-old defender, currently with Dinamo Zagreb, recently secured his first Croatian top-flight title and is also in contention for the national cup, with Zagreb set to face Rijeka in the final.
Having previously played for Aberdeen, Nottingham Forest, and Las Palmas, McKenna is expected to be a key member of Clarke's squad as Scotland strives to advance beyond the first round of the World Cup for the first time.
"The biggest thing with the manager is consistency and trust," McKenna told BBC Scotland.
"When I came in, I was still at Aberdeen, still making a lot of mistakes. He stood by me. Pretty much every camp I've been fit, he's picked me and kept me in the squad.
"Every game I play, I try and do well for myself, the team but also for the manager just to try and repay him that little bit for everything he's done for me."
World Cup Preparations and Clarke's Future
Clarke's contract expires after the World Cup, and no agreement has been reached regarding an extension. Scotland's final warm-up matches will be held at home against Curacao on 30 May and against Bolivia in New Jersey.
In Group C of the World Cup, Scotland will face Haiti on 14 June and Morocco on 19 June in Massachusetts, followed by a match against Brazil on 24 June in Florida.
"I hope that he continues as manager for everything that he's done for me but also for us as a squad and the loyalty he's shown to me," McKenna said.
"Everyone will be looking at that first game as the one that we probably have the biggest chance to get three points.
"The preparations need to be spot on. We need to be absolutely firing going into that first game. To really get what we want out of the tournament, we need to try and take all three points and a positive performance from that.
"If I'm lucky enough to be on that plane and get some minutes then I'd be absolutely delighted."
Clarifying Transfer Speculation and Embracing Success at Dinamo Zagreb
McKenna has noted similarities between Croatian and Scottish football and expressed pride in joining the ranks of Dinamo Zagreb title winners.
He addressed recent rumors about a £10 million bid for his transfer, suggesting these reports may have been misunderstood.
"I'm not sure that's true," he said. "That's probably been lost in translation.
"I've had a very good first season and I signed a four-year contract here so I see absolutely no reason why I won't be here for the remainder of that.
"This is a team that's used to winning a lot of titles over the past 20 years so for some players it's been the norm. There's quite a few of us in there where it was the first time. To try and get a double in my first season here would be excellent."
