Craig Gordon insists he is “absolutely” ready to start for Scotland in their decisive World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark, despite currently serving as second-choice goalkeeper for Heart of Midlothian.
The 42-year-old has yet to feature this season for the Scottish Premiership leaders following a neck injury sustained in May and the summer arrival of Alexander Schwolow, signed from Union Berlin.
With first-choice keeper Angus Gunn ruled out through injury, head coach Steve Clarke faces a key decision on who will start between the posts. Liam Kelly remains a backup at Rangers, while Scott Bain—who has been playing regularly for newly promoted Falkirk after leaving Celtic—has earned a recall to the national squad, six years after his last appearance.
Asked if he was prepared to win his 82nd cap in Piraeus on Saturday, Gordon said:
“Yeah, absolutely. That’s the manager’s call. I’ll just go there, train as best as I can, and be ready if called upon. It’s an unfortunate situation where not many of us goalkeepers are playing regular first-team football.”
Clarke has previously shown loyalty to Gunn, who himself has struggled for playing time at Nottingham Forest since his summer move from Norwich City.
Gordon’s wealth of experience—spanning two decades and over 70 international starts—makes him the standout option in Clarke’s current squad. However, the former Celtic and Sunderland goalkeeper acknowledged that Bain might hold a slight edge in match sharpness.
Having made his Scotland debut in 2004, Gordon’s most recent appearance came in a 3-0 home defeat to Greece in March. The Scots avenged that result with a 3-1 victory at Hampden Park last month, ending Greece’s hopes of a top-two finish in Group C.
“We’ve faced them quite a few times recently with mixed results,” Gordon noted. “They’re a very good side with real attacking quality. It’s going to be tough, regardless of their position in the group.”
Gordon, who was part of Scotland’s Euro 2020 squad but missed out on Euro 2024, turns 43 next month. Fully aware that this campaign represents his final chance to appear at a major international tournament, he remains determined to help Scotland reach the 2026 World Cup.
“Going to a World Cup is every player’s dream,” he said. “A lot of us are nearing 30 or beyond, so opportunities like this don’t come often. Having reached two consecutive Euros, the motivation across the squad couldn’t be higher.”
