Maloney Eager to Take a Step Into the Unknown ; Scotland Special

Summary

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IT FELL to Shaun Maloney to illustrate a harsh reality yesterday. Of the players who will be entrusted with driving Scotland to the World Cup Finals, there are a number who barely know what the accolade means. A 15-year-old the day Colin Hendry led the nation out for the first game of France 98, Celtic star Maloney knows what it is to watch major events on television. Yet a bucket of popcorn and a remote control can never provide a substitute for the main event.

The injured David Weir aside, there are now precious few members of the current squad who know the sounds, smells and mental challenges of the footballing world's pre-eminent event. Where participation in the major tournaments was once a given on the streets of Scotland, it has become a relic of You watch on TV and get caught up in it ' ' some long-gone decades.

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Maloney Eager to Take a Step Into the Unknown ; Scotland Special

Asked yesterday if playing in the finals would be a personal pinnacle in his career, Maloney was honest. How can any player hope to know as much unless they can experience it some day soon? 'A lot of people say it was the hi h...

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