Sheffield Utd striker McBurnie hopes Scotland controversy behind him

Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie has spoken of his tough week after the Scotland controversy.

McBurnie, who cost United a club-record fee when he joined from Swansea in the summer, was heard on video suggesting he hoped he wasn't called up to the Scotland squad for their games this month, against Russia and Belgium.

He reflected, It's been a tough couple of weeks for me. Things like that only happen to me! It was stupid to put myself in that position. It was a private conversation in the dressing-room and five seconds was taken out of context.

No-one heard the rest of the conversation. But nonetheless it looked terrible and it was stupid from me. My old man was raging at me.

As soon as it came out, I rang the gaffer and gave him my point of view. We had one conversation and that was it cleared. Everyone who knows me knows how much I love playing for Scotland. I have done since I was a kid. My stupid mouth ran away from me.

I got down about it because of the backlash. I could see how bad it looks. When I put myself out there like I do, it's easy for people to use it as a stick to beat me with. But it's my own fault, I have to realise where I am, what I can and can't say.

The family were angry with me, asking why I was saying that. But they know I love being up here and so do the boys in the squad. It was tougher to explain to the gaffer because he doesn't know me.

But he'll have seen that I was trying to prove a point last week in training, to show how much I want to be here."