Craig Gordon is determined to take advantage of the current developments in Scotland’s goalkeeping department by regaining a starting spot for Saturday’s Nations League match in Croatia, just four months after fearing his international career was over.
The 41-year-old was devastated when he was left out of the Scotland squad for Euro 2024 in early June, a week before the tournament started, with Angus Gunn, Liam Kelly and his Hearts colleague Zander Clark getting the nod to move to the showpiece in Germany.
With none of the Euros trio in the current squad – Gunn withdrawing due to injury and Clark and Kelly left out as they are not playing at club level – Gordon is expected to win his 76th cap by being chosen ahead of uncapped duo Jon McCracken and Robby McCrorie makes his first international start in almost two years.
Asked whether he saw Gunn’s absence as an opportunity to re-establish himself as Scotland’s No.1 after losing his place to the Norwich stopper following a double leg fracture suffered in December 2022, Gordon said: ‘It has to be much shorter. term than that.
‘I just want to see where we go this week, try to get myself into the team for the first game in Croatia and see where it goes.
“There are no long-term thoughts other than just trying to play the next game and if I manage to play that one, then the one after that. It’s really so short-term at the moment.’
Craig Gordon looks set to win the title for Scotland again after missing the European Championship
Chris Woods puts Jon McCracken, Craig Gordon and Robby McCrorie to the test
Gordon, along with Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinnie, has regained the number 1 shirt for Hearts this season
For much of this century, Gordon, Allan McGregor and David Marshall formed a strong Scotland goalkeeping trio, all pushing each other intensely for the No. 1 jersey.
Since the retirement of the latter two, few of the next generation – apart from Gunn – have managed to cement themselves in Steve Clarke’s squad.
“Most other countries have probably experienced that (change of goalkeepers) a lot more,” Gordon said. ‘We have had a very stable, steady group of goalkeepers over the past twenty years, and perhaps even longer.
“It’s new at the moment for Scotland to be involved, but I don’t think it’s unusual at international level for teams in the rest of Europe. It’s our turn to maybe be in the middle of that, with injuries and players not playing.
‘We don’t have a large number of goalkeepers. Almost all of us have been in and out of teams at various stages. It doesn’t make it that easy for the manager here at an international level.’