Aaron Hickey is confident that Scotland can draw strength from Saturday’s “frustrating” 3-2 loss against Greece as they prepare to face Denmark in a crucial World Cup qualifier.
A victory against the Danes would secure Scotland’s first appearance at a men’s World Cup since 1998. Brentford’s right-back, Hickey, believes the team has what it takes to bounce back, emphasizing that there are positives to glean from their recent performance.
“We just started poorly. Sometimes, that’s how football goes; it doesn’t always swing in your favor, and you have to dig in,” reflected the 23-year-old. “It was frustrating, but we knew we needed to regroup at halftime and make some adjustments.”
Hickey noted that momentum began to shift as the first half progressed, saying, “In the second half, we carried that momentum into the game. We didn’t get the breaks with the goals we conceded.”
He added, “You could see that when we build momentum, we are a strong team. We just need to harness that confidence and keep pushing forward.”
Having been substituted in the closing minutes for Anthony Ralston, Hickey expressed the challenges of being on the sideline: “For sure, it’s tougher being off the pitch. When you’re playing, your focus is solely on the game.”
“We were disappointed in our performance, but we have another game on Tuesday—a massive opportunity ahead of us. We need to keep our heads high; there’s no benefit in sulking,” Hickey urged. “It’s all about staying positive and giving it our all. We need to start strong, right from the first whistle to the last, and leave everything on the pitch.”
