Celtic's Socceroo Scott McDonald has scored to cost his current club a title, was signed by a manager who dumped him at 19 and says he owes his big break to Terry Butcher. Meet the man they call “McSocceroo”...
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Give us some idea about the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers. It’s one of the most bitter and intense in world football, isn’t it?
As someone from Melbourne, I’d say it was like Carlton vs Collingwood 100 times over, no, a thousand times over. That’s the nearest I can think of in comparison to anything Australian.
It’s such a big city Glasgow but it’s either blue or green and white, it’s as simple as that. The city is divided along those lines. But since I’ve been living here and playing for Celtic, I’ve bumped into some Rangers fans and there’s always a bit of banter but it’s friendly.
Scottish people are known for being a friendly bunch and I’ve never really had too much of a problem. In the end, in a city the size of Glasgow you’re going to have mates that support the other team and it’s more about getting the bragging rights after the game.
And being a fan of the team you’re playing for. You must be really pinching yourself?
It’s something I never thought would happen in a million for so many reasons. Obviously what I did against Celtic and them having a manager in charge who had released me from another club, I didn’t think it could happen.
For Gordon to do that – I’m not sure how many managers have done that in the past, go back and sign someone they’d previously not thought up to it. But that just shows the type of man Gordon is and if you see the player, you see the player. It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past. And it spurs me on to get as many winners medals as possible and play in as many European games as I can.
And it says a lot about you as a person that you weren’t going to let those issues stand in the way of you joining the club.
As soon as Celtic said they were interested in me that was it. We didn’t even need to talk about personal terms at that time. I knew they were going to be fine and I just wanted to go ahead and say yes and get the deal done. In the end the deal was done in 24 hours – that’s how keen I was.
Even my advisors were asking at the time if I was 100 percent sure about the move because there was going to be a lot of people unhappy about me joining and I turned around and said if the manager’s happy and the players are happy, then I’m happy. I’ll win the fans over in the end and that’s been the case.
Did you ever dream that the start to your Celtic career would be so good?
No, not at all. I’m probably still pinching myself now about it. But I think that’s all down to me enjoying it more than anything. That’s why I think I’ve had the success.
The management, the coaches, the players have all made me feel so at home and I appreciate being there, walking into the club with a smile on my face each morning. I’m enjoying every minute of it and I think that’s going to be the case for as long as I’m here.
Tell us a little bit about your style of play. Who do you most play like?
It’s a hard one to say because I don’t like to really compare myself to other players but if there was one player I’m similar to it’s probably Wayne Rooney. I’m quite a small stocky kind of lad and like to put myself about and score goals.
But also with something else to my game as well, create goals and come short and get involved in the game as well as go long over the defences. If you had to put me in a category I think it would be in that sort of role.
How do you handle the pressure of playing for a side like Celtic? It can be the breaking of some players coming to big clubs, can’t it?
I actually think the pressure brings out the best in me. It certainly makes me work harder. I enjoy it.
Most of the games, especially the European games, have been such a joy to play in this year, especially when you play at home in front of 50-odd thousand fans. They really are the twelfth man at home and they’re a big reason why we’ve been successful in the Champions League.
Our away form hasn’t been so good but our home form has been second to none. And it’s great to be playing against the best players in the world and showing that you’re a match for them. It’s been a pleasure
to play in.
This season the last minute goal against AC Milan at home has got to
be a highlight?
Yeah, it was fantastic. You work hard during the whole game and I got my reward when one fell very nicely for me right at the end. You couldn’t dream for an easier finish than that in a game.
And there’s more to my game than just hanging around and banging them in from five yards but when those chances come up you have to be in position to take them. It was a huge highlight especially coming off scoring my first senior hat-trick for Celtic the weekend before.
From that point forward it’s been a flying six months. But obviously to get that winning goal is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. And I was lucky enough to get Kaka’s shirt at the end of the game and that’s proudly up on my wall, especially after he was made World Player of the Year!
And now it’s on to Barcelona for the knock-out stages. How did you initially feel when you found out you’d drawn the Spanish giants?
I was excited but no matter who we’d got it was going to be a massive game. I wanted an all-British affair because I just think the atmosphere and the rivalry between England and Scotland would just make it a massive event but you can’t really complain by getting Barcelona, can you?
The likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Henry, Eto’o, you can go on and on. And to get to play in another iconic stadium like the Nou Camp after playing in the San Siro and the Stadium of Light against Benfica, it’s fantastic.
For us it’s great that we have Barcelona at home first – hopefully we can go out there and get a result and then it gives us something to go out and die for when we play the second leg.
Going on to the Socceroos, you’ve always stated that you were Australia through and through, even when Scotland were sniffing around. Good to see you’re committed to the Socceroos.
Of course. I didn’t play in the Asian Cup and I’m grateful to the FFA and Graham Arnold for understanding my situation and letting me go back to Celtic to get a full pre-season under my belt.
I’m sure that’s one of the reasons I’m doing well now – that I was given the chance to get a foot in the door and train with the team from the start. If I had gone to the Asian Cup, then who knows what kind of season it might have been for me?
I spoke to Graham Arnold personally and explained my situation and he said we think it would be best if you miss this because there’s not a guarantee of you getting a game anyway with the likes of Mark and others ahead of you. Of course if there was an injury I would be back straight away but his decision was that I was going to stay with Celtic.
In the end if Australia had called me up, I would’ve gone. It’s as simple as that. I really wanted to go because it was a great opportunity to get a taste of Asian football.
But at the same time your career is your career and I don’t think it would’ve been a good start for me to turn up with just a couple of days to go before the start of the season with Celtic and expect to start in matches. At that point I wasn’t established and I was coming from a smaller club and I had to prove myself.
You got a game for the Socceroos against Nigeria in London. Are you looking forward to being part of the team for World Cup qualifiers?
I thoroughly enjoyed the Nigeria game and getting the opportunity to play up front with Harry Kewell was fantastic. He’s a guy that I have always looked up to.
I remember when I was a young kid I was a ballboy at the Iran qualifier in Melbourne and Harry was playing. I always remember him telling the ballboys to slow it down and to stop throwing the balls in so fast. It’s a special memory.
The other thing from the Nigeria game was that it was great to play two up front – Australia haven’t done that too much in the past and I certainly prefer to play with a partner.
As someone from Melbourne, I’d say it was like Carlton vs Collingwood 100 times over, no, a thousand times over. That’s the nearest I can think of in comparison to anything Australian.
It’s such a big city Glasgow but it’s either blue or green and white, it’s as simple as that. The city is divided along those lines. But since I’ve been living here and playing for Celtic, I’ve bumped into some Rangers fans and there’s always a bit of banter but it’s friendly.
Scottish people are known for being a friendly bunch and I’ve never really had too much of a problem. In the end, in a city the size of Glasgow you’re going to have mates that support the other team and it’s more about getting the bragging rights after the game.
And being a fan of the team you’re playing for. You must be really pinching yourself?
It’s something I never thought would happen in a million for so many reasons. Obviously what I did against Celtic and them having a manager in charge who had released me from another club, I didn’t think it could happen.
For Gordon to do that – I’m not sure how many managers have done that in the past, go back and sign someone they’d previously not thought up to it. But that just shows the type of man Gordon is and if you see the player, you see the player. It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past. And it spurs me on to get as many winners medals as possible and play in as many European games as I can.
And it says a lot about you as a person that you weren’t going to let those issues stand in the way of you joining the club.
As soon as Celtic said they were interested in me that was it. We didn’t even need to talk about personal terms at that time. I knew they were going to be fine and I just wanted to go ahead and say yes and get the deal done. In the end the deal was done in 24 hours – that’s how keen I was.
Even my advisors were asking at the time if I was 100 percent sure about the move because there was going to be a lot of people unhappy about me joining and I turned around and said if the manager’s happy and the players are happy, then I’m happy. I’ll win the fans over in the end and that’s been the case.
Did you ever dream that the start to your Celtic career would be so good?
No, not at all. I’m probably still pinching myself now about it. But I think that’s all down to me enjoying it more than anything. That’s why I think I’ve had the success.
The management, the coaches, the players have all made me feel so at home and I appreciate being there, walking into the club with a smile on my face each morning. I’m enjoying every minute of it and I think that’s going to be the case for as long as I’m here.
Tell us a little bit about your style of play. Who do you most play like?
It’s a hard one to say because I don’t like to really compare myself to other players but if there was one player I’m similar to it’s probably Wayne Rooney. I’m quite a small stocky kind of lad and like to put myself about and score goals.
But also with something else to my game as well, create goals and come short and get involved in the game as well as go long over the defences. If you had to put me in a category I think it would be in that sort of role.
How do you handle the pressure of playing for a side like Celtic? It can be the breaking of some players coming to big clubs, can’t it?
I actually think the pressure brings out the best in me. It certainly makes me work harder. I enjoy it.
Most of the games, especially the European games, have been such a joy to play in this year, especially when you play at home in front of 50-odd thousand fans. They really are the twelfth man at home and they’re a big reason why we’ve been successful in the Champions League.
Our away form hasn’t been so good but our home form has been second to none. And it’s great to be playing against the best players in the world and showing that you’re a match for them. It’s been a pleasure
to play in.
This season the last minute goal against AC Milan at home has got to
be a highlight?
Yeah, it was fantastic. You work hard during the whole game and I got my reward when one fell very nicely for me right at the end. You couldn’t dream for an easier finish than that in a game.
And there’s more to my game than just hanging around and banging them in from five yards but when those chances come up you have to be in position to take them. It was a huge highlight especially coming off scoring my first senior hat-trick for Celtic the weekend before.
From that point forward it’s been a flying six months. But obviously to get that winning goal is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. And I was lucky enough to get Kaka’s shirt at the end of the game and that’s proudly up on my wall, especially after he was made World Player of the Year!
And now it’s on to Barcelona for the knock-out stages. How did you initially feel when you found out you’d drawn the Spanish giants?
I was excited but no matter who we’d got it was going to be a massive game. I wanted an all-British affair because I just think the atmosphere and the rivalry between England and Scotland would just make it a massive event but you can’t really complain by getting Barcelona, can you?
The likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Henry, Eto’o, you can go on and on. And to get to play in another iconic stadium like the Nou Camp after playing in the San Siro and the Stadium of Light against Benfica, it’s fantastic.
For us it’s great that we have Barcelona at home first – hopefully we can go out there and get a result and then it gives us something to go out and die for when we play the second leg.
Going on to the Socceroos, you’ve always stated that you were Australia through and through, even when Scotland were sniffing around. Good to see you’re committed to the Socceroos.
Of course. I didn’t play in the Asian Cup and I’m grateful to the FFA and Graham Arnold for understanding my situation and letting me go back to Celtic to get a full pre-season under my belt.
I’m sure that’s one of the reasons I’m doing well now – that I was given the chance to get a foot in the door and train with the team from the start. If I had gone to the Asian Cup, then who knows what kind of season it might have been for me?
I spoke to Graham Arnold personally and explained my situation and he said we think it would be best if you miss this because there’s not a guarantee of you getting a game anyway with the likes of Mark and others ahead of you. Of course if there was an injury I would be back straight away but his decision was that I was going to stay with Celtic.
In the end if Australia had called me up, I would’ve gone. It’s as simple as that. I really wanted to go because it was a great opportunity to get a taste of Asian football.
But at the same time your career is your career and I don’t think it would’ve been a good start for me to turn up with just a couple of days to go before the start of the season with Celtic and expect to start in matches. At that point I wasn’t established and I was coming from a smaller club and I had to prove myself.
You got a game for the Socceroos against Nigeria in London. Are you looking forward to being part of the team for World Cup qualifiers?
I thoroughly enjoyed the Nigeria game and getting the opportunity to play up front with Harry Kewell was fantastic. He’s a guy that I have always looked up to.
I remember when I was a young kid I was a ballboy at the Iran qualifier in Melbourne and Harry was playing. I always remember him telling the ballboys to slow it down and to stop throwing the balls in so fast. It’s a special memory.
The other thing from the Nigeria game was that it was great to play two up front – Australia haven’t done that too much in the past and I certainly prefer to play with a partner.
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