Scotland defender Jack Hendry has strongly hit out at the new manager of Club Brugge for not playing him when he insists he is the best defender at the club. Hendry claimed it was “extremely harsh” and over the top that he had not got back into the side after a couple of red cards.
Hendry played and scored for Scotland in the midweek draw in Austria but that was his first action in five weeks after being left out by Brugge manager Alfred Schreuder. The Dutch coach, who was assistant to Ronald Koeman at Barcelona, arrived in January. Hendry was a mainstay in the team under previous boss Philippe Clement and was man of the match when Brugge held a PSG team with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé to a 1-1 draw in the Champions League.
But after being sent off against Standard Liège in January and Gent in February — the first red cards of his career — he has been on the bench for seven consecutive games under Schreuder and has played for only 38 minutes. Brugge are five points behind the Belgian leaders Union Saint-Gilloise and Hendry is deeply aggrieved about being left out.
“That was my first game in five weeks,” he said of Scotland’s 2-2 draw in Vienna. “It’s not going great [at Brugge] in the last period of time. We changed managers and I think he has been extremely harsh on me. I think I should be in the side and I certainly didn’t go to Club Brugge to sit on the bench. That has got to resolve itself fairly quickly. We will see what happens when I go back but it needs to change.
“I had a fantastic start to the season. I played in the Champions League games, six out of six, and it was unbelievable. I was in a really good place. These things happen when football managers come in. I got two red cards but the treatment of me has probably been over the top. There is a lot of noise at the club that I should be back in the team, but when it’s one person’s opinion...
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“I want to be part of the Club Brugge team. I signed for Champions League football but also to be part of a team that wins the league. I have played around 40 games this season and that’s been good for myself. But I want to play in the last eight to ten games and try to win the league too. I think I should be playing.”
The 26-year-old former Celtic and Dundee defender even hinted that he might consider his future despite arriving at Brugge on a four-year contract only last August. “I need to be playing. I went to Club Brugge to play and obviously that is never guaranteed. But I think my performances and stuff have deserved to be in the team and keep on playing. I think you still keep your best defender in the team. I think the manager has gone against that. Hopefully he changes that opinion fairly quickly. I shouldn’t be out of the side. A lot of people agree with that within the football club.”
Weeks without regular first-team football had also made it tougher for him to perform at his best for his country, he said. “It’s not ideal as you lose your rhythm a little bit. You need to keep playing to keep your momentum. Sometimes it can be difficult when you are playing against Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer with Austria. It’s not like you can ease yourself back in. That’s top level international football.
“I am very thankful to the gaffer [Steve Clarke]. He has been brilliant with me. He has put a lot of trust and faith in me. I will be working extremely hard at club level to get back playing and he knows that. I will do everything I possibly can to get in that squad for June.”
Scotland’s next fixture is at home to Armenia on June 4 in the first of four Nations League ties during that month.
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Their other scheduled June fixtures are away to Armenia and Ireland and at home to Ukraine.
