Scotland heartache 'never leaves' McGinn

John McGinn took his tally of caps to 69 during Euro 2024

John McGinn admits he has not "parked" the disappointment of Scotland's Euro 2024 exit as he prepares for a return to international duty.

Steve Clarke's side host Poland in Thursday's Nations League A Group 1 opener then travel to face Portugal on Sunday (both games 19:45 BST).

The Scots took one point from a possible nine in Germany, with a heavy defeat by the hosts and a late loss to Hungary sandwiching a battling draw with Switzerland.

"You definitely don't park them," the 29-year-old McGinn said. "I still think about getting relegated at St Mirren. What I could have changed? What you could do better - these things never leave you.

"Everyone always says the highs in football make the lows worth it, but that’s a lie, so it’ll always be in the back of your head things you could have done differently both together as a team and individually.

"We've come a long way as a nation to qualify for these tournaments. We didn't want that to just be enough, we all know we could have done better in the summer, but now there's a new batch of players coming in, a sort of different feel with the squad, and hopefully it'll re-energise all of us individually and hopefully everyone in the country as well."

Finishing in the top two of their group would send Scotland through to the quarter-finals. Third place would result in a relegation play-off while bottom place confirms relegation to League B.

And the campaign could ultimately influence the Scots' hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, which would be their first since 1998.

"We've got a couple of years now to try to get to a World Cup," added McGinn.

"We've not achieved that in a long time. This group's managed to achieve things and break the pattern of not qualifying for tournaments. We've obviously not built on that.

"Thursday, it's about us getting on the front foot, embracing being in the top division in the Nations League, which is a first for us. We'll probably have a lot more people to prove wrong.

"We're all behind the manager and he certainly seems hungry and ready to go again and hopefully we can do what no-one's managed to do for a long time and get to another major tournament."

'Our aim is to survive in the group'

Assistant head coach John Carver believes failing to become the first Scotland side to reach a group stage has to motivate the team.

"We all took criticism," said Carver. "There was a huge amount of disappointment.

"We had a chance to create history and we didn't. That's got to be a drive and the motivation to go again.

"It's a new start today because there's a new competition starting. Our aim is to survive in the group, that's what we have to do. Yeah, you want to win or come second. Our priority will be - can we stay in the group?"

Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld was included in Clarke's squad for the opening double header along with Sturm Graz right-back Max Johnston and Liverpool winger Ben Doak.

And uncapped Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken was called up to the squad on Monday.

"We've got the preparation for the World Cup because the preparation for me now starts, which is why there'll be a few fresh faces in there, which is important," Carver explained.

"We've looked at every part of the world, part of the globe to see which players could come in to take us forward.

"Scotland were in the doldrums 23 years ago and now we're we've qualified for two back-to-back Euros, we've qualified and got into the Nations League Group A.

"There's still a huge gap to close. We'll try as long as we can to keep improving that and make progress."