Scott McKenna looking to become Scotland regular

Scott McKenna says he's looking to become a mainstay for the national team as he and his Scotland teammates face Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old Aberdeen defender made his debut in March against Costa Rica at Hampden Park and earned his third cap in the 2-0 friendly defeat by Peru in Lima on Tuesday night.

He was, somewhat unusually, the second most experienced international in a starting defence which included debutants Jordan Archer, Stephen O'Donnell and Lewis Stevenson with captain Charlie Mulgrew winning his 35th cap.

McKenna is now looking to become a regular fixture under Scotland boss Alex McLeish, who has showed his faith in him after returning to the Hampden hotseat for the second time.

He told Press Association Sport: "The last camp, I just wanted to get on the pitch but after playing the first game I got hungry for more and that's me, I want to cement a place.

"Obviously there will be boys coming back into the squad and so it is up to me to try to keep my performances to a level that is giving the manager a thought that, 'I can't drop him' or 'I want him to be playing for me'.

"I have had a taste of it and it is now up to me to keep improving, developing and giving the manager a decision to make''.

McKenna acknowledged that he has the perfect mentor in McLeish, a former Aberdeen and Scotland defender.

"He has been brilliant for me, especially in training,'' he said.

"In the first camp he was giving me wee bits of advice and in this camp he showed me a video clip from it.

"It wasn't a mistake or anything, it was simply a back pass.

"He asked me why I did it and I said that it had been my first game and I was being safe.

"He said, 'don't be, do what you do at your club' and has been telling me to be positive. He has that belief in me which is encouraging."

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