Scotland centre-back Jack Hendry has dismissed any fear of facing Brazil's Neymar and other superstars, declaring that such challenges bring out his A-game. The 31-year-old defender, who has previously faced Neymar in the Champions League and Saudi league, is relishing the opportunity to face the Selecao again in a crucial World Cup Group C match in Miami on Wednesday night.
Hendry's Confidence Undimmed
Hendry, who plays for Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, has already faced some of the world's best forwards, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Kylian Mbappe. When asked about the prospect of facing Neymar, he shrugged and said: "Yeah, no problem."
"You have to go into these games with no fear," Hendry said from Scotland's base camp in Charlotte. "It's important to have these challenges before because you gain confidence. You want to be playing against the world's best players. So I look forward to it."
Past Encounters with PSG's Star Trio
Hendry's experience includes a two-legged Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, when Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe formed a formidable front three. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw in Belgium, but PSG won the second leg 4-1.
"That was a good test," Hendry recalled. "Their front three at that time was Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar - so that's not a bad front three. It was a great experience, I learnt a lot from those moments against top calibre players."
Top Three Strikers Faced
Hendry ranked the best three strikers he has ever faced: "Mbappe, well you've seen in this tournament how good he is. At this moment in time, he's probably one of the best players in the world, if not the best. Then Benzema from a striker's point of view, he's just a killer. And then Ronaldo, who obviously he speaks for himself."
Scotland's World Cup Ambitions
Scotland have a genuine chance to reach the knockout phase for the first time ever, following a win over Haiti and a narrow 1-0 defeat to Morocco. A positive result against Brazil would be a major step towards history.
"We can use the history (of never beating them) as fuel, for sure," Hendry said. "Brazil's history speaks for itself. Scotland is a nation with players of not such a high calibre as them. They'll expect to win this game. But with the squad we've got and the performances we've shown so far, there's confidence within the group that we can get a result."
Dream Match-Up
Hendry admitted that facing Brazil is a dream come true. "My first memory of Brazil is the Brazilian Ronaldo. Everyone looked up to him and maybe got the haircut because it's iconic, isn't it? Roberto Carlos used to score the free-kicks as well. So when you think of World Cups, Brazil always comes into the conversation. So to now potentially play against them is what dreams are made of."
The defender is determined to make the most of the occasion: "It's going to be an amazing night and hopefully we can do it. I certainly relish the challenge. These are the games you want to be involved in. It's exciting. There's a lot on the line and we've worked hard to be in this position we're in. We're desperate to do well in the game and make it a memorable night."
