Craig Brown hopes Kenny McLean can use his first taste of international football to become an even better player for Aberdeen.
The former Dons manager, now a director at the Pittodrie club, was pleased to see the Scottish midfielder become the first Reds player since Chris Maguire in 2011 to represent his country when he made his debut in Scotland’s 1-0 win in the Czech Republic on Thursday.
McLean’s display was encouraging and Brown expects the player to return to Pittodrie with a spring in his step this week.
He said: “For Kenny to come in and play his first game away from home against a quality team was a big call from Gordon, but Kenny put in a good shift and can be pleased with his work in the hour he was on.
“The Scotland experience will only add to Kenny’s confidence.
“He is not a big-headed boy, but playing for his country will have given him a real injection of confidence.
“Kenny will return to the club this week with an increased status in the dressing room.
“He has always been highly thought of by the manager and his team-mates, but he is an international player now and that will mean a lot to him.”
McLean was not the only Dons player on international duty, however, with on-loan MK Dons attacker Simon Church scoring for Wales in the 1-1 draw against Northern Ireland.
Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Pittodrie where he was an ever-present before being recalled to Anfield, also came off the bench to make his debut for Wales in the game.
And midfielder Jonny Hayes made his Republic of Ireland debut as a substitute in the 1-0 win against Switzerland in Dublin on Friday night.
And Brown believes the success of McLean, Church and Hayes, and Ward’s breakthrough for Wales, can only enhance Aberdeen’s profile.
He said: “Simon scored for Wales while Danny came off the bench to make his debut in the same game and they are two instances which can only reflect well on Aberdeen.
“Simon had 33 caps for his country before he came here, but he is playing regularly for the club and that can only help his profile at a critical time for him with the finals in France looming in the summer.
“Danny has been a squad player for a while now in Chris Coleman’s squad, but he has gone from being a Liverpool reserve to a player with first team and European experience from his loan spell at Aberdeen.
“Their experiences with Aberdeen have been beneficial for the club in terms of our profile and also for the players.
“Their appearances in the international arena are good all round, except when it comes to negotiating a new contract – but thankfully we’ve got Kenny signed up for a good while yet.”
