Alex MacQuoid
Gordon’s Determination Shines Amid Injury Setbacks
Craig Gordon is eager to reclaim his starting role for Scotland in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark, despite being the backup goalkeeper for Heart of Midlothian this season.
The 42-year-old has yet to feature for the Scottish Premiership leaders due to a neck injury sustained in May and the arrival of Alexander Schwolow, the 33-year-old German goalkeeper who joined Hearts after leaving Union Berlin.
An injury to Angus Gunn, who started Scotland’s first four matches, has left head coach Steve Clarke with a crucial decision regarding the goalkeeping position. Liam Kelly, the second-choice goalkeeper for Rangers, and Scott Bain, recalled after six years, are also in contention after his move to Falkirk following his departure from Celtic.
Gordon’s Experience and Readiness
When asked about his readiness to earn his 82nd cap in Piraeus on Saturday, Gordon responded,
Yeah, absolutely. That’s the manager’s call. I just go there and be the best that I can be and see what happens. I can just be myself, do what I normally do, train as well as I possibly can.
Gordon acknowledged the challenging situation, stating,
It’s an unfortunate situation that we’re in at the moment where there’s not many goalkeepers playing first-team football.
Despite his experience, Gordon conceded that Bain has an edge in terms of match practice.
A Lifelong Dream on the Line
Gordon’s last appearance for Scotland came in a 3-0 defeat by Greece in March. The Scots avenged that loss with a 3-1 victory last month, eliminating Greece from contention for a top-two spot in Group C.
Reflecting on the upcoming match, Gordon said,
We’ve played them quite a few times recently and mixed results. They’re a very good team. Really good going forward, with great, creative players. It’s going to be a real tough one, regardless of whether they’re already out or not. They’ve named nearly the same squad, so they’re still going with the same players again.
At 42, Gordon knows this could be his final chance to play in a major tournament. He expressed his lifelong dream,
To manage to go to a World Cup, it’s everybody’s dream. There’s quite a few guys approaching 30 or just over. So you’re not going to get many more opportunities. This is a big one. We’ve managed to get to a couple of Euros in a row, so everybody’s motivation for this couldn’t possibly be higher.