Scotland manager Steve Clarke has praised Scott McKenna for a "fantastic" season but says he will need to "step up his game again" after promotion to the Premier League.
McKenna has been a consistent figure for the Reds this season, starting all but one game in the Championship this term. The 25-year-old's impressive performances since signing in September 2020 have made him a popular figure among supporters at the City Ground.
Those performances for Forest have seen him continue to push for a spot in Clarke's Scotland squad. Since making his international debut back in 2018, McKenna has played 23 times.
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He was included in the squad for the delayed 2020 European Championships and made three cameo appearances in their World Cup qualification attempt.
He was omitted from the starting XI for the 3-1 play-off defeat to Ukraine, but boss Clarke has given a clear instruction about what McKenna must do to continue pushing for a regular spot with the national team after ending the Reds' 23-year absence from the top-flight.
"Forest were bottom of the Championship and it looked like it was going to be a long slog for him," Clarke told the BBC.
"But he ends up with promotion to the English Premier League, which is fantastic and another challenge for him next season. He's going to have to step up his game again, which he did do this year, and if he continues to improve then it's great for Scott and great for Scotland - and also great for Nottingham Forest."
Having made his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica back in 2018, McKenna faces competition in the central defender spot alongside Scott McTominay, Liam Cooper and Grant Hanley.
