McLaren puts Scottish clubs on alert with plea for move

James Mclaren, the Scotland international, has revealed that he is looking to return to a professional club north of the border.

The former Glasgow Warriors centre is currently playing for the French club Bordeaux-Bègles, who face a funding probe over alleged irregularities in a sponsorship deal.

McLaren and his fellow Scot, Gordon McIlwham, are not being paid regularly by their club and look likely to leave this summer. Glasgow have already expressed an interest, but McLaren merely accepts that his financial situation is part and parcel of the French game.

McLaren said: "A return to Scotland could definitely be on the cards. I have to keep all my options open for the good of my career and my family.

"There have been some problems, but it is nothing extraordinary in French rugby life. You are supposed to get paid between the first and the 10th in French law, but sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't.

"When you go to France, you expect that type of thing and you can either bang your head against the wall and get stressed out, or you can get your agent on the job and sort it so you can get on with living.

"I have a year left on my contract with the club. There are obviously some financial questions hanging over the club in relation to sponsorship. That is nothing to do with me. My wife and kids are enjoying life there and so am I.

"We will just have to wait and see what turns out, but it would be remiss of me as a professional not to keep my options open and plan for the future."

Now McLaren, who replaces Gregor Townsend in his first international for a year against Wales at Murrayfield on Saturday, is just happy to let rugby take centre stage in his life.

He said: "It is very enjoyable to be back and I can leave all that to the French guys."

However, the 30-year-old concedes that his communication in the Scotland squad has improved as a result of his move across the Channel last summer.

McLaren said: "God forbid, I actually feel a bit more experienced on the pitch at the moment.

"Perhaps it has something to do with the French language but I feel I have been communicating a lot more and a lot louder.

"I don't know if that is just the joy of being able to speak fluently in the tongue though.

"When you get over 30, there is no escaping being one of the more experienced players in a team.

"There are a lot of young boys there and, when you see their dates of birth, it is quite disturbing."