IT IS unlikely Stephen McManus would ever publicly endorse James McFadden's sentiments regarding the less appealing aspects of being an Old Firm player.
No matter his own views on the intensity of life in Glasgow's footballing goldfish bowl, the Celtic captain's pride in his hard-earned achievements with the Scottish champions will always overcome the negativity which McFadden says would prevent him
considering a move to either Old Firm club.
McManus, however, has discovered that playing for Scotland provides him with a kind of enjoyment he can simply never replicate in Celtic colours.
"You will never experience anything like it, getting the feeling of having the full country behind you," he said. "Especially when you come from the background of playing for one of the Old Firm clubs, with one half of the city supporting you no matter what and the other half waiting to slaughter you.
"But playing for Scotland, I've only ever felt everyone getting behind you and what a buzz that gives you. Honestly, the Scotland fans are tremendous."
The powerful defender will captain his country again in tonight's friendly against Northern Ireland at Hampden, the final preparatory fixture before the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign begins in Macedonia next month.
McManus was a mainstay of the side who performed beyond expectations in running Italy and France so close in qualification for Euro 2008 and is desperate to make it to South Africa in two years time for what he would regard as the high point of his career.
The level-headed 25-year-old, however, believes a reality check is in order for those who believe Scotland were the beneficiaries of good fortune in a draw which brackets them with the Netherlands, Norway, Macedonia and Iceland.
"People were saying 'what a great group we've got', but then you take a good look at it and say 'not really'," he observed. "Macedonia had some great results in the last qualifying campaign, Norway and Iceland are good sides and obviously the Dutch are one of the best in Europe. It's actually a very tough group.
"So it shows you how far we have come that a lot of people are now expecting us to qualify. We know, though, that we won't get anywhere without hard work.
"Away games at international level are the hardest you will come across. If we can get a few points on the board after the first two games in Macedonia and Iceland, great. I would bite your hand off right now for four points out of six.
"The Dutch will be favourites in the group, no matter what anyone says. Anyone who watched them during Euro 2008 will realise what a good side they are. They have a lot of top players at some of the best clubs in Europe. There are one or two of our players who play in the Champions League, which is great, but none of us are world class players. The Dutch have certainly got a few world class players.
"But what we lack in that sense, we certainly make up for in passion and heart. It sounds horrendous to say you are proud of a campaign in which you failed to qualify, but I think we were all proud of the manner we went about our business in the last one.
"At the start of the campaign, no-one gave us a hope, but everyone in the country got behind us as it went on and I was just really proud to be a part of that. We all want to progress and make it to the next World Cup finals. For me, that would be the pinnacle of my career."
McManus, who will win his 14th cap tonight, is gratified by the faith placed in him by Scotland manager George Burley who has made him captain for every match of his tenure so far in the absence of Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson.
He is more than a little embarrassed, however, by Burley's weekend comments comparing his central defensive partnership with Celtic team-mate Gary Caldwell with the Alex McLeish-Willie Miller axis which served Aberdeen and Scotland with distinction in the 1980s.
"No chance," said McManus. "You are always going to be compared to people who have played previously, but Alex McLeish and Willie Miller were two top class players.
"Gary and I have done alright, but we are a million miles off anything like that. All we can do is keep working hard, listen to people who have been there and done it and try to become the best you can be.
"It is always nice to hear compliments, but I like to keep my feet on the ground and never get too carried away.
"I never expected to be Scotland captain in my wildest dreams. It is a great honour and something I will always cherish. I don't look at myself as being any different from the person I was five or six years ago.
"I've obviously got some qualities that make managers want me to be captain, but I was surprised when he (Burley] asked me because I'd only had 11 caps at that point.
"It took me a while to get into a squad in the first place. When you are playing for Celtic every week, people just expect you to jump straight into the Scotland squad. I had a full season with Celtic before I got in, but I wouldn't change anything about how it has worked out for me."
The full article contains 931 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
