Revived Scotland ace opens up on learning thirst, those Rangers links and club's right path

The 32-year-old is enjoying something of a renaissance at club level with Norwich City, who are motoring along nicely under new Danish coach Johannes Hoff Thorup. And with Scotland, McLean has started the past two matches in central midfield and looking to cement his place in the team now that Callum McGregor has retired from the international scene.

McLean is set to win his 45th Scotland cap on Saturday in the Nations League A1 clash with Croatia in Zagreb. He looks forward to such a scenario with relish. Eager to keep learning, he believes players become more attentive to new styles and outlooks the older they become.

"It's been pretty good to be fair,” is McLean’s assessment of the 2024/25 campaign so far. “We had a slow start with the new manager. We were still adapting to a lot of stuff that he wanted us to do. The last few games have been really good actually. We're in a good place and I think it's set up for a good, exciting season for us.”

Is McLean enjoying his football as much as he has ever done? "Aye, even at the young age of 32 I'm feeling good,” he replies. “We're playing really good stuff. the way the manager wants to play. That's what everybody wants to be involved in. So if there's a chance of success there then we're going to do everything to do that. As I say, we're improving all the time and long may that continue.”

Norwich needed to reset after the agony of losing to Leeds heavily in the Championship play-offs last term. A large number of the team has moved on, with Thorup looking to lower the average age of the squad. Such a summer overhaul led to suggestions McLean may move back north, with Rangers a potential destination. The 32-year-old is coy on those Ibrox links.

"Not too much that needed spoken about, to be honest,” he smiles when quizzed on Rangers. “The manager was in the door for a couple of weeks and had a conversation with him. He'd made it quite clear publicly that he wanted young players and I didn't quite fit that bracket!

“But when I spoke to him he knew he needed some experience about the place and I've been there a long time. He told me I was still a big part of the plan. So for me that was me secure and getting my head down at Norwich and not really focusing on elsewhere. It was something that was resolved pretty quickly.”

McLean sees his medium-term future in Norfolk. "I've got a few years left down there, so unless they boot me out the door or something else happens,” he says. “You never know what happens, but right now as I say we're on the right path to hopefully success. Because the club's going in the right direction. We've got good people in charge of the club. We've got new owners and stuff like that coming in. And a new manager who's been a breath of fresh air.  

“It's a really exciting time for the next few years. Obviously you won't see it too much but the fans are really getting onside with it. They can see the way the club's going. Obviously we've not been in the Prem for the last couple of years but that's always been the ambition at the club. And that's definitely what we're after.”

Like all model pros though, McLean does have one eye on the day when playing comes to an end. He is taking his coaching badges alongside some other Scotland players, but reveals that it can still be of benefit in the shorter term.

"I think you actually learn more when you're older to be honest,” McLean says, “because you take more in and you want to understand. You do understand the game more and you realise why things are being done a certain way. I'm doing my coaching badges now so I'm kind of taking information on, probably more than others.

“Obviously being one of the older players the manager relies on me to get the message across with him. So I need to buy into it really quickly and take it on board really quickly to then relate to the other boys as well as him doing what he's doing in the meeting rooms, on the training pitch and stuff like that. I think the older I've got I'm taking more in and I'm learning the game more. I think it's getting better. I'm not saying I'm getting any younger - but I think I'm definitely improving in terms of that side of the game and understanding it.”

The next couple of days allow McLean to focus on Scotland and put club football on the backburner. With so many injuries and withdrawals, McLean is one of the senior citizens in the squad for this double-header against Croatia and Portugal. He still believes the group has more than enough to succeed despite stellar names such as John McGinn being absent.

"I think we've got enough personality, enough quality, enough character here,” remarks McLean. “When the new boys come in, yeah obviously the first day is going to be a bit different in lads settling in but it's an easy squad to come and settle into and these lads, they're here on merit, they've worked hard to get here so they're going to come away and they're going to enjoy themselves and try and impress.

“So again it's not going to be a case of missing a couple of players and thinking 'I wish he was here', it's not like that at all. It's about helping the lads that are coming in and encouraging them to do what they're doing back at their club and what got them here.”