Maloney: I'll Play For Scotland For As Long As They Want Me

Shaun Maloney will continue to offer his services to Scotland until told otherwise.

The Scots knew they had failed to qualify for Euro 2016 before Sunday night's Group D finale against minnows Gibraltar in Faro, where the Hull midfielder scored a fine goal in the 6-0 win.

Gordon Strachan will decide soon if he wants to continue as manager but, whether he does or not, a new era beckons for a country that has failed in its last nine qualification campaigns.

Maloney turns 33 in January but remains keen to add to his 45 caps.

When asked if he had the appetite for another qualifying campaign - which will be for the 2018 World Cup - he told Clyde Sport: Personally, yes I do.

"I absolutely love playing for Scotland. It's a privilege. It's what gets you up in the morning, so I'm very proud to play.

"But I think it'll be the manager of the national side who will decide when I don't play - not me."

The vast majority of the 12,401 fans inside the Estadio Algarve were Scottish and they gave Strachan and his players some rousing backing throughout the predictably one-sided encounter against UEFA's newest members, who finished their qualifying programme with 56 goals against in 10 matches.

After a Steven Fletcher hat-trick and goals from Maloney, Chris Martin and substitute Steven Naismith confirmed a fourth-place finish, the Scotland squad, management team and backroom staff assembled on the pitch for a group photograph.

Strachan's side missed out on a play-off spot to the Republic of Ireland by three points, with Germany and Poland qualifying automatically for next summer's finals in France.

Maloney reflected on the 1-0 defeat in Georgia in September, noting it as the most damaging result of the campaign.

The former Celtic, Aston Villa and Wigan player said: £We have to look at the recent game in Georgia as obviously a huge result. It was a huge knock-back.

"I think that result put us in a very difficult situation. It meant we had to rely on other teams and Ireland have proved what a good side they've been when they beat Germany.

"That's why we find ourselves in the situation we're in."