JAMES McFadden has urged Scotland’s players not to treat the end-of-season tour of Peru and Mexico like “a prison camp” and to fully embrace the chance to represent their country after arriving here in South America yesterday.
The trip has been hit by a spate of call-offs from the original 24-man squad – Stuart Armstrong, Barry Douglas, Ryan Fraser, Allan McGregor, Matt Ritchie and John Souttar have all withdrawn.
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The next derby at Celtic Park will likely see those dressed in blue squeezed into the restricted view area of the stadium.
Alex McLeish, who inherited the friendly games when he was appointed national team manager for a second time back in February, has also omitted several Celtic players and England-based internationalists at the request of their clubs.
McFadden admitted that Scotland will find it difficult to get results against their Russia 2018-bound opponents in front of sell-out crowds at the National Stadium in Lima on Tuesday and the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City the following Saturday.
However, the Tartan Army hero expects those who have travelled to enjoy the experience and has stressed to them that doing well in the friendly matches could lead to further caps in competitive fixtures in future.
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“We want guys who are desperate to play," he said. "The guys who are in there already are showing that by committing to the trip and the ones who are coming in, they’re going to be buzzing, especially the late call-ups.
“They maybe thought they were just going to have a nice summer holiday and now they have a chance to play for their country, which they maybe thought wasn’t going to happen. There will be guys coming in with the right attitude and hopefully they will grasp that chance.
“We need to go and try to win the games. Ultimately it’s games for your country. I’ve said this before, not just about this trip, you never know when you are going to play for your country again. You might only get one chance, make sure you take it.
“There has been a lot made about the trip, it’s not ideal, the timing’s not great. But the second game is on June 2 and the World Cup starts on June 15. If we were calling up a strong squad they would be in a training camp just now and looking towards friendlies and three games at a World Cup and maybe more.
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“So I understand that players need rest and whatever, but if you want to be at the major tournaments you’re not going to get a rest in the summer. What would you rather do, go to a major tournament or have a good summer holiday?”
McFadden added: “They’ve got to go and enjoy it. It’s not a prison camp. I’ve been to Mexico on holiday, but I’ve never been to Peru and I’ve never been to Mexico City. It’s a different experience. I’m not saying ‘it’s great, you get to see somewhere different’, but we’re on the trip so you may as well go and try to make the most of it’.
“It’s not going to be a jolly-up, it’s not going to be a laugh, but at the same time because of the conditions the training won’t be as intense. The guideline is for us not to push them too hard in training. It’s a difficult trip, more so because of the elements rather than anything else.
“It’s got to be a springboard for these guys. I got my chance on an end-of-season tour and I never looked back. You don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance to win another cap again so they have to grab this opportunity.
“When I was a young boy, nothing really bothered me. I thought I was good enough and I just thought I would play. But that Far East tour was an eye opener because of the players who were there. The conditions were tough, but we just got on with it.
“They have to grasp this opportunity. It’s a wonderful chance to represent your country. If I was still playing that’s how I would be looking at it, as a chance to win two caps. If I had two more caps then I’d be in the Hall Of Fame.”
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