Aaron Hickey: Brentford full-back ‘a lot stronger mentally’ on Scotland return

Hickey was a stand-out in the successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign when Scotland won their first five matches.

With the likes of Serie A’s most valuable player, Scott McTominay, in the ranks, along with Hickey’s former schoolmate, Ben Gannon Doak, fresh from a multi-million pound move to Bournemouth, can Scotland hope to end their long wait for a World Cup place?

“You’ve got to believe in yourself,” Hickey said. “I’m pretty sure all the other players know that we can do it – it’s just about believing in the team.

“It goes along with the fans getting right behind us, as they help us massively in every game.

“We have a lot of good individuals. We just all need to combine together and work hard for each other.”

For Hickey and the rest of the squad, it would not just be a case of ending a 28-year exile from the greatest show on earth. He is very clear about what it would mean to him to get to the Americas in the summer of 2026.

“It’s everything that I’ve worked for,” he said. “I’m pretty sure it’s everyone’s dream to play in a World Cup. It would be the proudest moment of my career.”

It would be extra-sweet given one of his lowest points was having to miss out on last year’s Euro finals in Germany.

“I was close to coming back and then I had another problem,” he explained. “That was gutting for me.

“But you need to have lows to have highs. This has been one of my lows, with the injury – now I’m aiming for some highs. Qualifying for the World Cup, playing for Scotland, playing for Brentford. Just to be back playing.”