McBurnie grateful for recall as Scotland prepare to face Slovenia in Nations League
Oli McBurnie has returned to the Scotland squad and spoke in La Manga ahead of the Nations League fixture against Slovenia on Saturday 26 September, 14:00 BST. He said, "I'll be eternally grateful to the manager for giving me the chance. I'm more determined to go out there and prove why I belong here."
When asked about his return after five long and controversial years on the outside looking in, McBurnie began with a reference to a tattoo of Al Pacino and the film Scarface, saying, "It's my favourite film." He is part of a Scotland group preparing for Nations League matches against Slovenia (twice), Switzerland and North Macedonia and is conscious of his 16 goalless caps for his country. McBurnie repeatedly expressed his hunger to open his scoring account for Scotland, adding, "A tap-in on Saturday or one that goes in off my backside would be lovely."
The 30-year-old described a long road back into the squad and credited the change of manager for a fresh opportunity, saying, "There were times when it looked like I was never going to come back." He admitted to taking the early part of his international career for granted and acknowledged his own shortcomings, stating, "I didn't play well enough when I put on the Scotland shirt. I can hold my hands up and say that. I didn't give the best representation of me as a player or as a person and that's something that I'm here to change."
McBurnie's club form underpinned his recall: last season with Hull he scored 19 goals, the standout being the 95th-minute play-off winner against Middlesbrough that took his club to the Premier League. The article notes he has not scored this season but that Hull are performing well and his displays have been strong, making him favourite to lead the line against Slovenia on Saturday. He said the managerial change provided a clean slate, adding diplomatically that Steve Clarke "had his own reasons for what he did" when leaving him out previously.
On his falling out with Clarke and the World Cup omission, McBurnie described calling the then-manager before squad selection and being told he was not under consideration. He recounted the call in public and said of that exchange: "I rang him and I said, 'I feel like I've been playing well' and I just wanted to know his reasoning for [leaving him out] and if there was something he wanted me to do to improve. It went the way it went." He said Clarke explained his reasons and that he accepted them.
McBurnie addressed perceptions of being a problematic figure in the national setup, pointing to a behind-the-scenes 2019 video in which he and John Fleck were filmed. He said, "The video was from a behind-the-scenes thing," and explained the comments as defensive, adding that he apologised to Clarke at the time: "I rang Steve Clarke straight away and apologised and he said, 'Yeah, I get it, but you'll have to apologise to all the lads'." He noted he went on to play further games under Clarke.
Describing personal changes since his last cap, McBurnie said, "I've had two kids since I last won a cap. I have a fiancee. I've lived in Spain for a year [he was at Las Palmas]." He insisted he is "a different person, 100%," and quoted common fan reactions: "you're actually all right. I thought you were a so-and-so" while also saying, "But I don't necessarily want you to like me when I'm playing, especially if you're an opposition fan. I want you to dislike me." He recalled scoring the winner at Wembley as one of his greatest moments and reiterated how much scoring for Scotland would mean, saying, "It's got to me at times," and, "It's been hard to deal with. My job is to score goals and it didn't happen so 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."
Pocognoli has given McBurnie the recall he said he wanted and the striker must now convert the opportunity into goals; he is in the squad for the Nations League trip to Slovenia on Saturday 26 September, 14:00 BST.