“It seems like ages ago I signed for Las Palmas,” says the Scotland defender from his new home in Gran Canaria’s capital city.
Signed on a three-year deal from Nottingham Forest in the summer, Scott McKenna is already adjusting to life in Spain and is relishing the opportunity to test himself against La Liga’s elite.
After ending the season on loan at FC Copenhagen, the 27-year-old accepted an offer to join his international team-mate Oli McBurnie in Las Palmas. Last Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Leganes was the first time in the Canarian club’s history that two Brits have been included in the starting lineup.
On settling in and learning the language
“Obviously, it's quite a lot different to what I was used to,” McKenna says. “But, to be honest, it was just something that really excited me. The opportunity to play abroad, especially in La Liga. I felt like it was something I couldn't turn down.
“It's just nice to be back training and playing again after probably an extended break after the Euros."
“Obviously, the league, I think behind the Premier League, it's up there with the best of them. So, I just felt like I had to take the opportunity to try and go and experience this, and also have the opportunity to try and play in some of the top stadiums in the world.”
“It's all going to be a learning experience as well,” he adds. “Hopefully playing in this league against the calibre of players is only going to help my game going forward.”
The Scotland international says he’s doing his best to pick up the language.
“Having Big Oli [McBurnie] here is certainly a help because a few of the lads speak English but a lot of them don't speak great English. I think it's really up to me and him to go and try and immerse ourselves and learn the language now so we can enjoy it properly.
“I've got six hours a week, three lessons, two hours each. Maybe I’m struggling to take it all in at the moment but hopefully within the next few months I can at least start having basic conversations.
“I think the biggest thing is all the meetings are in Spanish. When he's talking in training, the manager [Luis Carrión], everything's in Spanish. I'm starting to pick up words now that I can understand bits and pieces of what's happening but I think the main one will be learning it so I know exactly what he's saying in the meetings.”
Training with Aberdeen’s under-18s
The Angus-born defender became a free agent at the end of last season after his contract expired at the City Ground, leaving him without a club heading into Euro 2024.
“The best way I could describe it is ‘strange,’ he says. “I think when you're out of contract, you kind of think, right, the Euros is finished now. Within two or three weeks, I'll have a team and I'll be back in training. It doesn't quite work out like that.
“You go away on holiday, the phone's quite quiet, bits and pieces. But, there's nothing, literally nothing's happened for anyone. But, you don't really take that into account because you're only concerned about yourself.”
“I went in and trained with Aberdeen under-18s for a week or two because I thought I needed to actually get in with a team and train with someone. Teams were back pre-season, they were starting to play friendlies. I think in Scotland they were playing the League Cup group stages. We're now about a week away from the start of the season.”
Las Palmas phone call
When the call eventually came to join Luis Carrión’s Canarian side, McKenna was quick to make up his mind and the papers were signed less than a week later.
“It seems like ages ago I signed for Las Palmas. When you look at it that way, I wasn't worried. I knew there was still time and there were a lot of players in my position who still weren't playing in clubs either so that was a bit reassuring.
“I think that's just part of the process. When you find yourself in that situation for the first time, you don't really know what to expect and that's the best way I could describe it.”
On Callum McGregor's retirement from international football
McKenna was named in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad this week for the forthcoming Nations League fixtures, with midfielder Callum McGregor notably absent.
When news broke of the Celtic captain’s retirement from international duty a few weeks ago, his Scotland team-mates were stunned, says McKenna.
“I think it probably came as a shock to most of us. I never expected it.”
“I think we're gutted to be losing a player of that quality that I think probably still had a good few years ahead of him playing for the Scotland team.
“But obviously he's come to the decision that he wants to concentrate on club football. So I think we just need to wish him all the best with that and it will be a massive loss both on the pitch and around the place.”
Reflecting on Euros heartache
“I think we were a bit nervy in that final game,” the defender explains. “My personal feeling was we didn't really express ourselves to go and try and win the game and ultimately that probably cost us.
“We were a bit safe in everything we'd done. I think we knew how much was riding on it and I think that probably affected us. Being one win away from getting out of the group, it was a massive opportunity and we let it bypass us.”
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McKenna played in each of Scotland’s three matches at the Euros, coming on as a substitute against Germany and Switzerland and starting in the 1-0 defeat to Hungary.
On what needs to change for the national side, the centre-back says, “maybe just being able to deal with those bigger moments and just express ourselves no matter what. I think as games go on, the more games we play for Scotland, there might be some things we can do to repair that.
“But I think ultimately, no matter what, it's still going to be a massive chance that we've missed out on. I'm not sure that will ever fully leave us when we look back.
“But we need to just try and look forward and try and create more moments where there's less of an impact on us.”
The 27-year-old brushes off any talk of Steve Clarke’s departure following the summer’s disappointment in Germany.
“I never really thought that [Clarke would leave]. I think obviously he's had massive success.
“I think having got to two Euros, I think he was desperate to get us to a World Cup. And obviously with this Nations League as well, we worked so hard to get out of the two divisions below to be playing against the top teams.
“It was obviously something that I didn't want to happen and thankfully he decided to stay on.”
Scotland begin their campaign in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League against Poland at Hampden Park on 5 September, before travelling to Lisbon to face Portugal on 8 September.
