It takes Grant Hanley a moment of recollection before he pinpoints the details.

He has played against Clint Dempsey, the United States internationalist before, when Blackburn Rovers faced Fulham in the Barclay's Premier League. This softly-spoken, physically imposing defender is just 21, but it is a reminder that he has already made significant progress in his career.

There is something intriguing about such a contrasting individual. Hanley is a powerful and rugged footballer, but quiet and taciturn off the pitch. He can sometimes play as though raw and impulsive, but he has captained Blackburn this season when Scott Dann has been missing.

Hanley has become a regular at Ewood Park and for all the youthfulness of his imposing figure, he is contemplative. After being sent off against Wigan Athletic last month, Hanley sought out the manager Gary Bowyer for a face-to-face meeting to apologise. "That shows you the type of lad he is and why the fans appreciate him, because he's so honest," said Bowyer. "We didn't have any qualms about naming him captain [at Wigan] because eventually he's going to captain his country as well - I strongly believe that."

Yet the player himself is, naturally, more reserved. Despite having become a fixture in defence under Gordon Strachan, and developed a partnership there with Russell Martin of Norwich City, Hanley does not consider himself a regular in that team. That, after all, would be allowing some complacency to slip into his mindset.

"It's a massive thing to have good partnerships in the team but especially in the centre of the defence," he said. "It's helped me just to have a wee run in the team and it just so happens that Russell has played beside me in every one of those games. That's helped but I still don't really consider myself to be part of the team.

"Russell's more experienced, so it's good for me to have him there because I'm still young and still learning. However, I don't believe that we're the established pairing for the next few years. As soon as you start thinking like that you're in trouble. If we get complacent and start thinking that those positions are ours, that's when we'll lose them so we'll take it one game at a time."

Hanley has been making progress at the same time as Scotland. Rivals for the centre-back position will re-emerge, such as Gary Caldwell when he is fit again, while Christophe Berra is back in the squad, and others will make their fresh claims. Steven Caulker, the Cardiff City centre-back, could yet qualify to play for the national team, but Hanley is focused on continuing the improving mood under Strachan.

Friday night's meeting with the USA at Hampden, then the trip to Norway next Tuesday, will provide an opportunity for the team to continue testing itself. The challenge will be difficult against Juergen Klinsmann's side, who are expected to impress at the World Cup finals in Brazil next summer, but Strachan and his players are adamant that they need to restore a feeling of invulnerability at Hampden.

"We know it'll be hard against but these next two results are important because we're trying to move forward," said Hanley. "First and foremost, though, we'll look to the performance because, if we can get that right, the result should follow. It's important to maintain the momentum that we've built up. We finished the last campaign strongly but we can't rest on our laurels. As a result, we want to put in another two positive performances as we prepare for the Euros."