Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna credits a stint training with two junior sides as setting him on the road to success.
When McKenna could not make it up for every training session with the Dons as a youngster from his native Kirriemuir, he trained with Broughty Athletic and Kirrie Thistle to keep himself sharp.
The 21-year-old’s incredible breakthrough season continued yesterday when he was named on a four-man shortlist for the PFA Scotland young player of the year.
Twelve months after struggling to get a game on loan at relegation-bound Ayr, McKenna is now an Aberdeen regular and a Scotland international.
McKenna is vying for the award with Celtic’s Kieran Tierney, Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos and St Mirren winger Lewis Morgan, and his development was helped by those learning experiences in Angus.
He said: “I was training with a junior team at a young age when I couldn’t get to Aberdeen and I always thought it might have a positive effect. I was 13, 14 and training with men; you’re not going to bully them but you are throwing your body about trying to get them out the way.
“I trained with Broughty Athletic and Kirrie Thistle, purely because I couldn’t get to Aberdeen to do three sessions a week. They let me try to put myself about to better myself.”
McKenna feels he has progressed to the stage where he can seek to guide team-mates through games rather than looking for help himself. He captained the Dons in the absence of the suspended Graeme Shinnie for Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Motherwell.
Despite a difficult day for the team, McKenna showed his leadership skills as others around him struggled to cope with Motherwell’s approach.
McKenna said: “When I first went into the team at the start of the season, I was kind of looking about to others to maybe help me through the game. Now it’s the opposite.
“I am more than confident of my own ability and I will try and help others. It’s important we all do that for each other to try and finish second in the league.”
Player-of-the-year candidate Kris Boyd spoke in glowing terms of McKenna at the announcement of the shortlist, praising his combative approach and his refusal to respect reputations.
McKenna said: “When you first break into the team and see the players you are up against, you think ‘Should I really be on the same pitch as them?’ But after a few games that all goes out the window and I thought: ‘I have done well so far, I am more than capable of matching you. So I’m going to try to mark you out the game or be better than you’.”
Celtic’s Scott Brown and James Forrest are up for the senior award along with Boyd and Hibernian’s John McGinn.
