Scott McDonald has hinted that he will put club before country and join up with Celtic for pre-season training. Australia's involvement in the Asian Cup during July has cast doubt on the striker's involvement in his new club's preparations for the domestic season. The 23-year-old is suspended for the first two league games of the campaign, but is eligible for their Champions League qualifier between the two.
The Asian Cup begins on July 7 and is hosted by four different nations, with the final on July 29 in Indonesia, six days before the scheduled start of the new Scottish Premier League season.
Four-times capped McDonald has already held discussions with the Australian federation regarding his involvement and believes they are close to reaching an agreement which will suit all parties.
Asked if he was seeking a bit of goodwill from the federation in order to get his Celtic career off to a flying start, McDonald said: "Yes, possibly. That's something the manager, Graham Arnold, and I have spoken about already. He played over in Europe himself so he understands the pressures of playing over here. He's been very supportive.
"I've got an insight into what's going on. He's assured me either way that both parties will be happy with the decision. He's under pressure, but there are still a lot of quality players in the national team.
"I'm only young. Mark Viduka and John Aloisi have a lot of caps so that's another thing which I've looked at.
It's up to the Australian federation whether they pick me or not, but they've been fantastic thus far and totally understand the position I'm in. Everyone will find out later on this week."
McDonald would like to see tournaments such as the Asian Cup given a more suitable slot in the global football calendar.
"It would be nice if they even had the Asian Cup now rather than in the pre-season period for clubs. I know they think there's no league games in July, but clubs are trying to get their players all together and when those preparations are upset, it's not nice. The African Nations is another. That's for FIFA to look in to."
The competition for striking slots will be fierce at Celtic next season and McDonald expressed his frustration at being suspended, due to a red card picked up while playing for Motherwell against Dunfermline last month, for the first two league matches of the season.
"The suspension is a massive disappointment, especially as I've moved to a new club. You want to be part of it, especially for the first game of the season when the league flag is unfurled. But these things happen in football and you get on with it. Thankfully, there is a Champions League qualifying game between those two suspensions and hopefully I can fight hard for a place in that team."
McDonald has fulfilled a boyhood dream in signing for the Parkhead club. Although he is best remembered by Celtic fans for scoring the goals which deprived them of the league championship in 2005, the 23-year-old has always supported them and visited the stadium for the first time as a youngster.
"I first came here when I was 12 against Sporting Lisbon in 1996," he said.
"It was unbelievable to come from a country like Australia, where football is not a big deal, to here where it is almost like a religion. From that day forward, I knew that's what I wanted to do.
"Celtic goes way back for me. The first thing I was bought was a football and the second was a Celtic jersey. I've been a Celtic supporter since the day I was born. I grew up in a period when Celtic didn't win anything and I got a lot of stick. I always remember when Celtic won the league to stop nine-in-a-row in the 1997-98 season. The whole family, including my grandfather and uncles, were in my house, listening to it on shortwave radio. My grandfather brought over a bottle of Celtic whisky for the celebrations."
McDonald's first encounter with the current Celtic manager, Gordon Strachan, occurred back in 2001, when he was a highly-rated 18-year-old at Southampton.
McDonald had already made his Premiership debut at that stage, but he was quickly omitted from Strachan's squad and shipped out on loan to Huddersfield and Bournemouth before leaving the club altogether.
McDonald resurrected his career north of the border with Motherwell and reflects on his departure from Southampton as a pivotal moment in his career.
"Football decisions are made for certain reasons,"
he said. "I was young at the time and I never regret anything in football or life.
I like to think that if that hadn't happened then I wouldn't be here today. It made me a stronger person inside and a better player.
McDonald is quietly confident of holding down a first-team place next season and his goalscoring record suggests he is more than capable of doing so.
At Motherwell last season, his 16-goal haul was more than all three Celtic strikers, Craig Beattie, Kenny Miller and Maciej Zurawski, managed. He is targeting double figures next term.
"I'd like to think I could hit double figures, with the chances created at this club and the talent we have. Obviously you set personal goals. Rangers' Krissy Boyd has done fantastically well. He's cemented that top spot and that's something you strive to, finish top of the goal charts.
"That's a very healthy thing for the manager and club."
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