Scotland's wanderlust stronger than ever as latest globetrotter excels while taming Real Madrid

For so long it seemed there was a reluctance among Scottish players to travel any further than Southampton but no more. Now there is a growing band plying their trade in Italy, some as far afield as Canada, Australia and India, a few others dotted across mainland Europe including in Austria and Germany, while Jack Hendry’s Caledonian accent can also currently be heard in Saudi Arabia.

Then there are the latest two Scots tourists to have turned up in the Canary Islands. Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, to be more precise, which is where Oli McBurnie and Scott McKenna have emerged, looking to further their careers with the subtropical sun on their backs.

McBurnie, unsurprisingly given the maverick status he has enjoyed throughout his career, is already emerging as something of a cult hero with two La Liga assists to his name, including one in Thursday night’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in which he placed higher in the matchday ratings than Kylian Mbappe.

McKenna, in contrast, is going about his business to noticeably less of a fanfare, later to land on the island than his compatriot but quickly establishing himself in the Las Palmas defence. Of Madrid’s eight shots on target the other night, seven were blocked, the only breakthrough coming from the penalty spot. McKenna’s influence is being felt already.

The former Aberdeen defender had already shown a willingness to broaden his horizons with a loan move to Copenhagen last season, and when it became clear Nottingham Forest wouldn’t be extending his contract this summer, the 27-year-old decided to keep all his options open.

Las Palmas may not be anyone’s idea of a European football powerhouse – they finished 16th in La Liga last season – but McKenna did not need to be asked twice. A three-year contract gives him peace of mind and the player is eager to make the most of the opportunity.

“Obviously, it’s quite a lot different to what I was used to,” he says. “But it was just something that really excited me. The opportunity to play abroad, especially in La Liga, was something I couldn't turn down.

“To be honest, I was open to anything. Copenhagen wasn't so far away from home and it was a league a bit like Scotland. But the opportunity came to go to Spain which as a league, behind the Premier League, is up there with the best of them. So I felt like I had to take the opportunity to go and experience this opportunity to play in some of the top stadiums in the world.”

McKenna is honest enough to admit that for a while he was beginning to wonder whether he was going to get a club at all. Having played in all three of Scotland’s matches at Euro 2024, the defender took a holiday and then started to weigh up his options. But life as a free agent wasn’t as appealing initially as he had hoped.

“The best way I could describe it is ‘strange’,” he added. “When you're out of contract, you think, right, ‘the Euros are finished now. Within two or three weeks, I'll have a team and I'll be back in training’.

“It doesn't quite work out like that. You go away on holiday and the phone's quite quiet. Literally nothing's happened for anyone. But you don't really take that into account because you're only concerned about yourself.

“I came back from holiday and tried to stay fit. I'd done a lot of running myself and then eventually I went in and trained with Aberdeen under-18s for a week or two because I needed to actually get in with a team and train.

“Teams were back for pre-season and starting to play friendlies. And in Scotland they were playing the League Cup group stages. At this point we’re about a week away from the start of the season. I was just thinking, ‘when is it going to start to liven up a bit and people are going to move?’

“Eventually, four or five days before I came out here to sign, I got a phone call saying they'd be interested if I'd come out and see the place and that's exactly what I did. I went back a few days later and signed the contract.”

The novelty of all-day, all-year sunshine is already beginning to wear off as McKenna gradually adapts to the island lifestyle where nothing ever seems to get done in a hurry. Spanish lessons are helping him settle in alongside McBurnie’s effervescent presence.

“It's a bit strange but because we've got the sun every day I never go and lie out in it,” he revealed. “I almost take it for granted now, the lifestyle.

“In the Canary Islands everything’s dead laid back. It takes a while to get stuff done. There's no real urgency with this island life. Having big Oli here is certainly a help because a few of the lads speak English but a lot of them don't speak great English. It's really up to me and him to go and learn the language now so we can enjoy it properly.”

McKenna will leave the sunshine behind this week to return to Scotland for Thursday night’s Nations League opener against Poland but even the five-hour flight time won’t deter him from committing to the cause.

“One or two flights and you can get back. It's not the end of the world. It probably took me longer to drive from Nottingham to Glasgow than to fly from here.”