Liam Kelly: The underrated impact of Scotland’s back-shaving hype man

When Norwich midfielder McLean scored that goal against Denmark in November, Kelly was the first to clear the Scotland bench and lead the chasing pack.

He is 34 years old and shares a strong bond with other senior figures in the group, such as Andy Robertson. He sits next to the captain on international journeys.

Nobody has a bad word to say about the former Motherwell player and despite two seasons of limited minutes there always seems to be optimism oozing out of him.

Playing time was no problem at Fir Park, where Kelly was first choice for four years before returning to Rangers, where he began his career as a young prospect.

Long-time pal and former team-mate Andy Halliday played alongside him at both clubs.

He remembers Kelly’s influence in the Motherwell dressing room, controlling penalties, organizing days and running a traitor-like card game, which some members of the Scotland squad engaged in during the long-haul flight to the US on Sunday.

“It’s his way of making sure everyone bonds together,” Halliday told BBC Scotland.

In Rangers, his first impression was of the then-teenage Kelly, despite his character’s age. “Typical Glasgow boy, Gallus,” he added.

Three of Kelly’s closest teammates at Ibrox at the time – Halliday, Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller – were all much older which spoke volumes about the former midfielder’s personality.

And Halliday’s goalkeeping nature will undoubtedly be a positive influence in the Scotland squad, even if time on the park is inevitably limited.

“Whether he plays or not, he’s well-opinionated,” Halliday told BBC Scotland. “Experienced players will approach Liam and chat around the game.

“Liam himself will admit his role will not involve many minutes on the pitch. It will involve a lot of what he can bring off the pitch.”