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SHAUN MALONEY has rapped Mark McGhee and told him a move to the Windy City does not mean his career is on wind down.

The Scotland assistant coach dismissed the standard of the MLS this week and claimed it didn’t even compare with the English Championship.

His comments raised eyebrows ahead of the Euro 2016 qualifier in Dublin on Saturday as Scotland and Ireland turn to potential matchwinners who now play in North America.

Former Celtic attacker Maloney, 32, joined Chicago Fire this year from Wigan and Robbie Keane, 34, has spent the last four years at LA Galaxy.

Maloney scored the stunning strike in November at Parkhead that separated the sides as Irish boss Martin O’Neill prepares to turn to Keane, who has scored a record 65 goals in 139 appearances for his country.

Keane, who has been struggling with a groin injury, played his first game since April in Galaxy’s 1-0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps last weekend and could be asked to lead the line against the Scots despite a lack of match fitness.

The players have met once before this season – Keane scored in Galaxy’s 2-0 win over Fire in March in the season opener as Maloney made his competitive debut against the MLS champs.

(Image: Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune)

Asked about McGhee’s assessment of the standard, Maloney said: “It was a bit harsh. It’s really difficult to pitch it at a level. I’ve said Championship previously but within that you have some top players such as Robbie Keane, Kaka and now Steven Gerrard.

“It’s difficult to pigeonhole it as a standard in comparison to other leagues because you have these players coming from the biggest clubs in Europe and then you have different levels of players.

“I understand if it comes across as a bit negative from Mark but it is quite difficult to put it on a par with another British league.

“Some of the matches are more physically demanding than I’ve been used to and the standard of player differs vastly through each team but it has not affected me for the last four months.

“There is a different level of pressure and my team at the moment are not doing particularly well. In the last 10 days our owner has made a pretty big push to try and make the play-offs. There’s pressure there, so that brings its own intensity.”

There may be debate about the standard of football on the pitch in the States but there is no doubting the quality of life off it.

In Pictures: A history of meetings between Scotland and Ireland..

He has been to see the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League and the Bulls in the NBA but the former Parkhead favourite admitted with a chuckle he has yet to go see the Bears with the NFL on its off-season.

He added: “It’s pretty similar to living in Manchester. The Liverpool clubs and Manchester clubs dictate the high profile and in Chicago I’m absolutely anonymous.

“The lifestyle is superb, I can’t complain. The city is on a lake, so there’s lots of things you can do there. I’ve had a lot of family across – surprisingly they seem to visit more than they did when I was in Manchester.

“They’re always wanting to do touristy things. I’ve been to the basketball and ice hockey and thoroughly enjoyed both. The Bears’ season hasn’t started yet. The papers are filled constantly with baseball, ice hockey and basketball as well as football, even though it’s the off season.”

Maloney may enjoy a lifestyle the envy of many but there is a huge gap in his CV as a footballer that can only be filled by participation in a major international tournament.

He is playing his part to take the Scots to France next summer with four of the six goals he has scored at this level coming in the current qualifying campaign. He netted in the 2-2 draw in Poland last October and twice in the 6-1 thumping of Gibraltar in March but arguably his best and most crucial goal came in that 1-0 win over the Irish in November.

In Pictures: Shaun Maloney scores a stunner as Scotland beat Ireland 1-0..

The Tartan Army erupted in joy at his curled strike off a short corner and he admits the noise inside Parkhead has only been matched in his career by the cacophony that greeted Ben Watson’s injury-time winner for Wigan against Man City in the FA Cup Final two years ago.

Maloney added: “At the time I scored I was aware of the moment in the stadium. I haven’t really played in a ground that reacted like that for a while, probably the last time was the FA Cup Final at Wembley.

“It was a similar feeling when that part of the stadium erupted, so I was pretty aware of how everyone was feeling.

“I haven’t looked at the goal again, although I’m sure I will in the next few years. I haven't even watched the game again, although we’ve seen parts of it in our

analysis over the last few days.

“The last game was really tense, which was understandable. There was so much pressure and there isn’t much between the sides.

“However, it was a great game to be a part of because of the atmosphere and trying to find a way to score. This weekend’s game will be similar.”