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Jack MacKenzie wants back in Scotland fold as Aberdeen star plots closing gap on Robertson and Taylor
Jack MacKenzie will swap a front row seat on the bench for a more familiar spot on his couch when Scotland return to Nations League action this week.
But the Aberdeen ace insists his first taste of national service last month has left him hungry to get back to the table on the international front as soon as possible. MacKenzie knows he will need to raise his game to another level if he’s to shift some of the quality left back options who have become part of the furniture in Steve Clarke’s squads. The 24-year-old was drafted in for last month’s double header against Croatia and Portugal after Celtic’s Greg Taylor withdrew with injury.
But Taylor is back to challenge skipper Andy Robertson for the left side berth in defence as Scotland look to save their League A status against Croatia and Poland. And with Kieran Tierney nearing a return from injury MacKenzie knows it’s only going to get harder to win another call up.
But the 24-year-old said: “I’ll probably watch these games in the house which is not the same as being on the bench. It will give me motivation to get back there. Once everyone is back fit, the level of player in that position is crazy.
“It is difficult but it pushes me to work even harder to close that gap. I don’t know why the left-back role is so strong. There are a few positions where we seem to be overloaded with quality and that’s certainly one of them.”
MacKenzie has become a mainstay in Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen side which has stunned Scottish football to remain neck and neck with Celtic at the top of the Premiership. His form has rocketed in line with the Dons’ results and Scotland boss Clarke and assistant John Carver have watched the Pittodrie ace on numerous occasions culminating in last month’s call-up.
But he said: “I made the last Scotland squad due to injuries as I wasn’t in the initial squad. I was aware of that. When those players came back fit I kind of expected not to be in it which I completely understand.
“There are some absolutely brilliant players in my position. It’s something I am going to have to work at, to get even better to give the manager another decision to make.
“The manager has been at some of our games as has John Carver. That has added motivation to perform well every week as you never know who is watching.
“The manager was really good with me and at the start of the week said just to just enjoy it. He told me that I deserve to be there as I’m there on merit. That was nice and then afterwards he said thank you for the camp.
“I was grateful for the opportunity as I learned a lot. It was a great experience. You are around top players all the time so you just take little nuggets that they do. Also watching the levels of the games as Portugal and Croatia are brilliant teams. It shows the level I need to get to and to close that gap as well.”
While MacKenzie watches at home, Dons team mate Nicky Devlin will be pushing for a second cap after also winning his first call-up last month. The 31-year-old right back’s career has been on a constant upward trajectory since moving from Stenhousemuir to Ayr United a decade ago having been released by Motherwell as a teenager.
Devlin had spells at Walsall and Livingston before moving to Pittodrie last season and winning his first cap as a late sub against Portugal last month. MacKenzie said: “I was absolutely over the moon for Nicky when he came on. I think I was probably more nervous than him when he got on. Nicky getting a cap makes me want to get one even more as well. Nicky has had a brilliant story and is an inspiration for a lot of people.”
