Previous Scotland manager Walter Smith insisted O'Connor would never play for his country again after he went AWOL following a Euro 2008 qualifier with the Faroe Islands at Hampden Park 11 months ago.

O'Connor admits he was having personal problems at that time with his wife struggling to adjust to life in Russia following his move from Easter Road to Lokomotiv Moscow.

But McLeish, who had managed O'Connor when in charge of Hibernian, brought him back into the Scottish fold after replacing Smith.

He responded by netting against Austria and in the return meeting with the Faroes at the end of last season.

O'Connor told PA Sport: "Myself and Alex McLeish have a very good relationship. He gave me my chance at Hibernian and I have great respect for him.

"Of course you've got to admit that you made a mistake (going AWOL). But Alex McLeish knew the problems I had at the time.

"I didn't really want to come out in the press and say it was about my family, that my wife was having a hard time in Russia, and that I had other family problems.

"What's gone on is all in the past now and I've just got to look to the future.

"I've been given a second chance and hopefully I can take that and play well for my country. I will always be there to do that."

O'Connor, who moved to St Andrews from Lokomotiv in a £2.65million move this summer, is confident Scotland can reach the Euro 2008 finals.

He said: "We have got a lot of big games this season - Italy, France - and hopefully I can do the business. The boys are optimistic. I think we can qualify for the finals. If we win our home games, who says we can't?"

City are keeping their fingers crossed O'Connor's club strike partner Mikael Forssell's calf injury is not a long-term setback.

The Finnish international, who suffered the setback against West Ham, is having a scan with his country ahead of tomorrow's encounter with Kazakhstan.