Craig Gordon has his say on burning Scotland World Cup selection issue
Goalkeeper tells Clarke he is ready to be nation’s No 1 for Haiti opener
Craig Gordon is convinced he should be the last line of defence when Scotland kick off their World Cup group games against Haiti in Boston this weekend.
The 43-year-old has endured a difficult season spent on the sidelines for the most part, but played the night Scotland secured their qualification in an unforgettable match against Denmark.
Asked if he felt he should be given the gloves in a game Scotland need to win to entertain realistic thoughts of reaching the knockout stage, Gordon stressed that he did. However, he acknowledged both Angus Gunn, his realistic rival for the jersey, as well as Liam Kelly will both be feeling they ought to be given the nod by manager Steve Clarke.
“I would like to think the other guys in the squad think the same thing,” he said. “That doesn’t mean to say that if the other guys play you don’t support them, because absolutely we do. This is a country effort, this is everybody together.
“But you have to have that mindset to prepare properly - as if you are going to play and you are going to be the number one. That is no different regardless.”
It would be a fairytale end to a long arduous season for Gordon that has been documented in a new BBC Scotland profile of the keeper’s life and times as part of the Icons of Football series. The ‘keeper recounts being told by a spine expert earlier this year that the treatment needed to fix a troublesome neck injury came with significant risks, including paralysis or even death.
These are the high stakes involved as Gordon battled his way into World Cup contention after being excluded from the Euro 2024 two summers ago.
Clarke has yet to declare his hand over who starts although there have been clues, including Gunn being allocated the No. 1 shirt in the squad list. Gordon dismissed the significance of this – he has been handed the number 21 shirt – and believes there’s still time to press for a starting place.
“There’s been no indication whatsoever (about who starts in goal),” he said. “That’s nothing new. We’ve got a few days left of training to try and impress and show that we’re the one to take that position. That goes for all of us and I’m no different.
“I’ll train as well as I possibly can over the next few days and see who the manager picks.”
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