Dundee United ace Jason Scotland has revealed he could be set to turn his back on international football to save his career a Tannadice.
The 26-year-old is growing tired of making the long trek back to play for Trinidad & Tobago, only to be overlooked for selection. It's a situation he says is getting to him and has affected his bid to really establish himself at United and that simply cannot continue.
"I'm supposed to go home this summer for the Gold Cup, but I don't know if I want to because for the past two seasons I've been going home and then not playing enough when I get there."
"At the start of last season, for example, I was in form and playing to my best. Then I went home for the games with St Kitts and Mexico, and only played about five minutes in two games and was just sitting in a hotel!"
"I came back to Scotland overweight and it took me weeks to recover because I was so sluggish. It took me a while to get back my form and even then I couldn't get back in the team."
"I just think if I go then it could happen all over again and I need to concentrate on getting fit here for the new season."
"I haven't spoken to the new manager yet. Players, like Kelvin Jack at Dundee, say I should go and try to impress the new manager but the same things go on with the national team all the time."
"It's difficult when you know what goes on behind the scenes politically that stops me from being involved."
"I'm proud to play for the national team and wouldn't give it up, but I'll play under the condition that if I go over there then I have to play."
"The game here in Scotland is so fast that I can't afford to come back from national duty exhausted. It affects me and that's not good for United. We leave Trinidad on a Wednesday, get home to Scotland on Friday for United's game on a Saturday!"
Scotland's exclusion from the national scene last year was attributed to his inability to follow former coach Bertille St. Claire's strict rules on player haircuts!
"The coach at the time said publicly that he wouldn't pick me because of my dreadlocks, but that was just an excuse for not selecting me," he adds.
"I went with them for pre-season last year and I played well, scored goals and the whole thing was strange. People like Brent Sancho still play with their dreads."
"I just didn't make a big deal of it. It happened to Brent about three years ago and he made a scene of it, speaking to the press and speaking out against the manager. My agent spoke about it but I left everyone to it. I'm quite chilled about it and not the type to make a fuss."