Source: FOOTYMAD
Things Just Get Better And Better For McLean
Kenny McLean is making the right kind of progress with the Buddies Kenny McLean has had a great season so far which has been capped by being called up to the Scotland Under-21 squad. The St Mirren teenager played for the Scotland Under-19s in Estonia last year before breaking into Danny Lennon's side where he has caught the eye, especially in recent weeks in games against Rangers, Aberdeen and Hearts. The Cambuslang-born midfielder, who was handed a three-year extension to his contract in October, was given a further boost when he was drafted in by Under-21 team boss Billy Stark for today's friendly against Belgium in Deinze following four withdrawals from the squad.McLean said: "Danny Lennon phoned me after training on Monday to tell me I had been called up and he congratulated me. It is my first call-up into the Under-21s and I was surprised to be fair, but like Estonia it will be a good experience. It is another boost for me and hopefully I will use it to kick on and get more games this season. Everything has happened so quickly for me, it has been brilliant and I have been given great help by everyone at St Mirren. It's all going well and hopefully I can keep going." Stark has gathered around him a mostly new batch of recruits and will use the game against Belgium as preparation for the upcoming 2013 European Championship qualifiers, where Scotland's youngsters will face Holland, Austria, Bulgaria and Luxembourg. The SFA' director of football development, Jim Fleeting, admits qualification would be a boost but believes the development of players is what age-group football is about. He said: "We have been so close to qualifying in the last two occasions and we are desperate to get there. The players are all intending to get there but we have challenges and we need to meet them. Apart from about half a dozen players, they are all new faces in the squad and it's exciting for us and them. It is a challenge for us to put them together. This is about trying to prepare them for the future. It's about developing them to give them the chance to go on to the next step." Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net) Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net) This is Scottish-Fitba Net
