Motherwell and Scotland star Stephen O’Donnell doesn’t know how long of a break he’ll have – but the Steelmen’s captain is hoping a packed football schedule awaits him.
Steve Clarke’s Scots could qualify for their first World Cup since 1998 this week if they beat Ukraine tonight and then Wales on Sunday in two defining play-off matches.
The right-back, from Wishaw, has been a regular for his former boss at Kilmarnock and with first-choice of late Nathan Patterson a doubt for the clash with Ukraine, it looks set to be between O’Donnell and Bellshill’s Anthony Ralston for a starting slot.
His season has just ended in success at ‘Well, culminating in a fifth placed Premiership football, booking Europa Conference League placement in July.
Qatar 2022 will bring a winter tournament and with as many as five matches to be played in navy blue this month, the 30-year-old isn’t keen on letting up after spells in and out of the ‘Well side.
He said: “I’m not sure (how much time he’ll have off). I will need to see. That’s part and parcel of being a footballer but I don’t want to be off.
“I don’t want to be off in the winter either. To be part of any team that finishes in a European spot is good. I have played a lot of games but I’d liked to have played more.
“There was a wee bit of sickness at the start which curtailed my involvement and then I found myself out of the team for a period. I want to improve on that personally.
“But we finished fifth and had a very good season collectively. That’s all that matters.”
Once his testing international fixture schedule is out of the way, O’Donnell will be looking towards European football with Motherwell just over a month after the final Scotland match.
There are trips near and far available to Motherwell, with assignments in Sweden and Poland potentially on the agenda.
O’Donnell arrived back from Euro 2020 last summer to a squad less than half assembled as manager Graham Alexander rebuilt the squad in his image.
And O’Donnell added: “You would have bitten the hand off someone if they had offered us Europe at the start of the season. We have managed to do that.
“We will enjoy our summer and hopefully the fans are looking forward to a nice trip somewhere. We’ll be back ready to go again.”
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