SHAUN Maloney has managed to move to the windy city without blowing his cover.

The little Scotland forward, who moved to MLS side Chicago Fire ahead of reported interest from Celtic in late January, has largely remained under the radar thus far in a sports-mad city infatuated with star names such as Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls basketball team, Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears NFL franchise, and sundry others at the city's twin baseball sides, the Cubs and the White Sox.

Not that there hasn't been some increased scrutiny heading in his direction. As one of the league's designated players, there is little hiding place for Maloney when his own performances aren't up to scratch. Neither does it help when you lose your first three matches, to Los Angeles Galaxy, Vancouver Whitecaps, and San Jose Earthquakes.

"It's such a huge sports-orientated city but we're probably the fourth sport and the fifth team down the pecking order," said the 32-year-old, who plays in front of crowds of approximately 15,000 at Toyota Park. "You know that suits me fine. The press requirements have been more than I've been used to - but that's just part of the responsibility of being a designated player. The league and the team are trying to get as much exposure as they can because of all the other sports they're up against. And on the pitch, there's a level of performance they're expecting.

"The general thing in the majority of American sports is that they seem to focus in on certain individuals," he added. "That is just part of the parcel that you have to deal with. I am sure it is the same in football here. You look at Man City, Man Utd and there are certain players that stand out as the face of the club more than others. It's not been a great start, with the results, but we've got better with each game."

Playing your domestic football on the other side of the pond can have both plusses and negatives. Like LA Galaxy star Robbie Keane, who he came up against a fortnight ago, Maloney should be in the middle of his season and flying by the time the crucial Euro 2016 qualifier with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin crops up on June 13. Whether there is any need to top up the tank with a loan back to Europe during the off-season is the kind of issue he will only address when the time comes.

Early signs are good and there is little chance of the excessive travelling putting off his commitment to the Scotland team. "I think the days have gone where you would say there is a real discrepancy between the standards of the MLS and British football," said Maloney. "They are definitely trying to be a bit more technical in terms of passing and starting moves from the back. On a personal note, anytime I am called up I will want to turn up. The older you get the more you understand what a privilege it is to play for Scotland and I don't want to give it up."