John McGinn packed an European plug adaptor. Lyndon Dykes follows Ryan Christie around like a dog. Liam Kelly shaves Grant Hanley's back. Often.
John McGinn packed an European plug adaptor. Lyndon Dykes follows Ryan Christie around like a dog. Liam Kelly shaves Grant Hanley 's back. Often.
Turns out you can learn a lot about the squad who have ended Scotland's 28-year wait for a World Cup appearance while in a Florida hotel ballroom on their media day. Perhaps too much. Steve Clarke has brought his players to hot and humid Fort Lauderdale for a pre-tournament camp to acclimatise themselves to the conditions they'll face in their Boston matches against Haiti and Morocco, and especially against Brazil in Miami.
On Tuesday, they had a few hours of their busy schedule blocked out for Fifa's content day, when the players pose for photos and perform their celebrations in front of big green screens. Maybe the heat was playing havoc with them, or they'd just had enough at that stage, but they were in the mood to expose their pals' biggest secrets, worst traits and what they truly think of them.
In between the players' multiple kit changes and checking back on the footage from their rain-abandoned golf day on Monday, BBC Scotland asked the big questions after making the trip Stateside. Findlay Curtis' massage gun didn't sound that odd, while the ever-reliable Kenny McLean's certainty that there "wasn't anything too weird" wavered the more that he thought about it.
Christie is trying to improve and track his sleep so has brought his oura ring and some nose tape - thankfully he's not sharing a room with anyone, not even Dykes - while Kelly has his red-light sunglasses with him. The likely third-choice goalkeeper also conceded he "needs to bring something to the party" after being named the squad's hype-man by a few team-mates.
Then there's Europa League-winning captain McGinn. He perhaps brought the same bag he took to Istanbul a week or two ago as he brought European adaptors to the United States. The BBC can confirm Scotland's vice-captain has since invested in the appropriate appliances. There can be no mistakes made when picking your plane partner, though.
It's a long flight from Glasgow to Miami, after all. Defender Hanley - who McGinn described as "a bear" - "takes up too much room" for Christie's liking, while 19-year-old Curtis is "me times 100" according to the Villa captain.
"His energy's been infectious; he's a brilliant addition to the squad," McGinn said. "A character, but I wouldn't like to sit next to him. " Instead he sat with Kelly for the trip and got stuck into a few games of Traitors, Uno and Wolf. Something which late addition Tyler Fletcher impressed in.
Curtis perhaps knows the son of Darren best from their time in the youth set-up, and he confidently proclaimed him "a loser". It didn't take long to get the sense that the younger cohort - who all respected their elders by calling them "experienced, cause I can't say old" when asked to describe the likes of Craig Gordon and Hanley - are comedy gold. Gannon-Doak was the worst person to sit with, reckoned Curtis.
"He doesn't stop talking," the Rangers youngster said. So who did he sit beside? Gannon-Doak. And plans to do the same on the way to New York for Saturday's final friendly against Bolivia.
Christie and Dykes - who McGinn said can’t be separated “but it’s not Christie’s choice" - are likely to watch the two final episodes of Netflix series, Legends.
"No spoilers, please" asks the former. Hanley - or "Grizz" to back-shaver Kelly - might not be calling McLean his pal after exposing that story - "the big man needs it, grows quickly". Christie, meanwhile, has never been able to get his head around "leader, legend" Andy Robertson's pre-match meal.
"Some weird chicken sandwich thing". We all know Scott McTominay has made the switch to the Italian life seamless, so a coffee was in hand at all times during the content day. Except when it was his turn in the body scanner for VAR use. McTominay knows how to work the camera, thought.
He's the “biggest poser” according to both Christie and Kelly. ”The diva“ George Hirst was the choice of biggest poser from McGinn, who also used the words “moany, thick, halfway line and bald” to describe four other team-mates. The love in the air was palpable.
Liam Kelly Grant Hanley John Mcginn Scotland Lyndon Dykes Findlay Curtis Kenny Mclean Biggest Secrets
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