Aaron Hickey had dreamed about it since he was a kid. So the Scotland hero wasn’t going to let a little knee knock stop him starring on a monumental occasion against Spain.
And, having tasted a magical triumph, he can’t wait to be back at Brentford to have some good fun teasing team-mate David Raya about an unforgettable night that he felt beforehand was going to happen. Hickey had little hesitation in nominating the 2-0 win at the National Stadium as the best night of his burgeoning career.
Since he was a schoolboy, he’d been going to the old stadium to support the country. Now, at the age of just 20, Hickey was front and centre under the lights glistening brightly with one of Europe’s big guns floored. Full-time scenes of jubilation will long be recalled and the former Hearts youngster savoured every second. Asked if it was the best moment so far of his career, he said: “I would say so, yes. Definitely. It was an absolutely brilliant night for myself. Beating Spain is what you dream of as a kid.”
Having been one of those fans himself in the past made it extra special as he continued: “I can’t actually fully remember [favourite past game] because I used to go to a lot of them with my dad. We’ve not really got a favourite. Just watching Scotland in general was good. It was unbelievable just seeing the fans so happy.”
Hickey was amongst Steve Clarke’s heroes as they stood strong against the Spanish to keep it tight at one end as Scott McTominay sank them at the other. The kid confessed that he had a slight issue following the win over Cyprus in the previous match four days prior to the big one, but it was all cleared for kick-off and never going to keep him on the sidelines.
He said: “I had a problem with my knee, but it was nothing serious. It was just a knock. I wanted to play in the game a lot.
“It was a massive game and I have dreamt about playing in this type of game since being a kid, so I was just delighted and even better to get a win. It’s the stuff you dream of.”
Hickey didn’t make the finish going off with eight minutes to go and he explained: “It just a bit of both, physically and mentally. But the boys were strong enough to keep a clean sheet.”
Such was the enormity of the win, Hickey was clinging to his top as he left Hampden. No ritual shirt swapping as he smiled: “I’m keeping this one.” But, while many of the Tartan Army were pleasantly surprised at the seismic victory which gave them their own treasured memories and souvenirs, it did not come as a massive shock to those inside the dressing room.
Before the game, Clarke has spoken of a belief amongst the group that they could do it. And Hickey admitted that there was a feeling within the camp it could be their night. He explained: “I did, actually. I think the boys did as well. We believed in ourselves. Going into the game we had a good feeling about it and ended up getting a good result.
“I mean there are times in a game when you are going to feel uncomfortable and you have to sometimes just defend. We did that, but we were also good on the ball. The boys are delighted.
“Obviously, it’s a big result for us. It gives us a bit more confidence. We know ourselves that it was hard and every game is going to be hard, so we just have to take it game by game. After this result, we want to go and get more results like this, improve and get better.”
Such is Clarke’s down to earth mantra that it was a point he made straight after the game within the confines of a delighted dressing room. Without wishing to dampen the mood, the manager knew it’s just the second game of an eight-match qualification sequence.
Beating Spain doesn’t earn an automatic ticket to Euro 2024. There is more work to do. But Hickey and his team understand that completely as he said: “Yes definitely. That is the main thing.
“The gaffer was saying that everyone is going to be buzzing off this result and enjoy it for the night and think about it. But, when we come back in June, that we are ready to go again. Now we have a break and we settle down and look forward to the next games.”
It’s a maturity which serves Hickey well. Watching him play, it’s hard to believe the Spain game was just his ninth cap. He’s been to Serie A, he now stars in England’s Premier League. It’s been a stunning progression, but there’s no time for thinking about what’s happened. It’s what comes next.
He said: “Sometimes I try and do it, but I’ve just got hundreds of games to play in, so I just focus on what I am doing just now and try to get better.”
That next task is a Premier League game at Brighton on Saturday and work for that begins today at Brentford training. When he gets into the complex, he’ll see Spain’s back-up keeper Raya, who was full of belief beforehand during some jovial club chit-chat between the pair that Spain would get the win they wanted.
Hickey said: “He was saying it a wee bit. I could tell in his voice that he was a wee bit confident. I can’t wait to see him in the changing room!”
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