Striker Oli McBurnie has spoken of his gratitude at being handed a return to the Scotland squad, ending a five-year absence from the national team as his country prepares to face Slovenia twice, along with Switzerland and North Macedonia, in the Nations League.
The 30-year-old forward, who has 16 caps but is yet to score for his country, was recalled by new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli after being frozen out under former boss Steve Clarke. McBurnie enjoyed a productive campaign at Hull City last season, netting 19 goals including a dramatic 95th-minute play-off winner against Middlesbrough that secured the Tigers' promotion to the Premier League. Though he has yet to find the net this term, his displays have reportedly impressed enough to make him the favourite to start up front against Slovenia.
Speaking during Scotland's training camp in La Manga, McBurnie reflected on how much perspective he has gained since his last involvement with the squad. "When I was last in the squad, I was a kid really. You think it's just going to always be like this. I probably did take it for granted a little bit," he admitted. He acknowledged that his own performances in a Scotland shirt fell short of expectations, saying, "I didn't play well enough when I put on the Scotland shirt. I can hold my hands up and say that."
McBurnie's exile from the national team became a talking point before the last World Cup, when he contacted Clarke directly to ask about his prospects of selection. He was left out, and the matter became public knowledge after he discussed the conversation openly, which reportedly did not sit well with the then-manager. Looking back, McBurnie chose not to criticise his former boss, saying Clarke "had his own reasons for what he did." He recalled the exchange: "I rang him and I said, 'I feel like I've been playing well' and I just wanted to know his reasoning... There were no sour notes. He explained to me his reasons and that's completely fair enough."
The striker also addressed the lingering perception that he was a disruptive presence within the Scotland camp, a reputation partly fuelled by a leaked 2019 video in which he told teammate John Fleck he hoped he wouldn't be called up, joking about tensions within the squad at the time. McBurnie explained the comment as a form of self-protection rather than genuine sentiment: "I say things almost to protect myself from insecurities... it's almost protecting myself if I don't get the call." He confirmed he apologised to Clarke and the squad soon after the incident became public.
Now, with two children, a fiancée, and a spell playing in Spain with Las Palmas behind him, McBurnie says he has matured significantly since his early Scotland caps. "I've had two kids since I last won a cap... I've done all sorts of things that have opened up my mind and given me gratitude," he said, adding that fans who meet him are often surprised he isn't the character he was once portrayed to be. Despite the change, he insists he still wants to be seen as a nuisance by opposition supporters on the pitch.
McBurnie described scoring the play-off winner for Hull as one of the best moments of his career, and said breaking his scoring duck for Scotland would carry similar significance. "It's got to me at times. It's been hard to deal with... a one-yard tap-in or one that goes in off my backside - anything to get me off the mark with my country would be incredible," he said.
With Pocognoli having given him a fresh opportunity, McBurnie now has the platform to prove his international qualities and finally register his first goal for Scotland when the Nations League campaign begins against Slovenia on Saturday.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.