Brighton & Hove Albion striker Craig Mackail-Smith plans to continue working hard now he has found his way into the Scotland national setup.
The 27-year old English-born forward has won two caps for Scotland, thanks to his Edinburgh-born grandmother, and ahead of this weekend's Euro2012 qualifier against the Czech Republic, is not taking his current position for granted.
"I give everything I've got when I play football because the way I see it, I'm lucky to be doing what I'm doing," he said.
"It's such a strange game, you could be playing one day and finished the next.
"That's why I leave everything out on the pitch in whichever game I'm playing in.
"I think that's because I've had to work to get where I am in football right now.
"A lot of players join big clubs straight from school and maybe don't appreciate what football gives them in life, but it's not so long ago that I was working in Asda and Homebase.
"I had part-time jobs when I was at college and playing in non-league football for Arlesey Town. At 19 I played for them on a Saturday but during the week I'd have my course work and also work in the Homebase garden centre.
"At that time I didn't know if I had any future in the game. Now I feel I've been blessed to have this career so I'm never going to rest on my laurels and be blase about it.
"I've got the view that I have to give everything I've got every day in training and then in every single match I play.
"Once my career ends - and I've done everything I can to be the best I can - then I can sit back and see what I achieved.
"The last thing I want to have is regrets because I didn't give it everything I've got."
