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I see Shankland daily and know how great he can be - everything he touches turns to goals when he's these 2 things
Paul McStay got pushed out of the way last month. Alex McLeish will need to move over tomorrow night.
Craig Gordon thought his souvenir shirt from his 75th Scotland appearance back in June might have been his last but now he’s relishing the chance to keep leapfrogging legends. The Scotland keeper is set to collect his 78th cap against Croatia to move above Aberdeen hero McLeish having bypassed Celtic favourite McStay earlier in the Nations League campaign and Darren Fletcher’s total of 80 is not far off either.
The 41-year-old cherishes every extra second after getting the feeling a line was drawn under his international career in the summer. Gordon came off the bench at Hampden for the final spell in the friendly clash against Finland – only to find out hours later he hadn’t made the cut for the Euros in Germany. The painful upshot took some of the shine on what was a remarkable night, where the shot stopper completed yet another miracle comeback in a career that could give Frank Sinatra a run for his money.
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Eighteen months earlier, a horror leg break would have been the end for most mere mortals. But Gordon fought his way back to fitness, back into the Hearts side and now back between the sticks for Scotland.
And even though it feels like bonus time, the main man is not done yet and that shirt from his 75th can become just another sign post along the way. Gordon said: “Yeah, I still have it. Seventy-five is a great number. We get a medal for 25 and 50. I don't know, do we get one for 75? It is quite a big number to get to.
“It's still an important one. I probably didn't foresee how the next few months were going to pan out like this at that particular time – I thought that probably would be the last one.
“But football is a funny place, you just never know what's around the corner, what's going to happen. It's now about taking this chance to try and stay in the team.
“It’s great to be up at that end of the list. Looking at the names round about that, that have played so many times for Scotland, it's a huge achievement. It's a very difficult thing to do, to play that many games. So, yeah, I'd be delighted to move up another place.
“Who knows how far I can get, but it's great to be at that point where every person that you manage to take over now is an actual legend of the Scottish team and the Scottish national team. So, to be at that end, at this stage in my career, I'm obviously delighted to be there.”
Fletcher is in sight with current skipper Andy Robertson just one ahead. Next on the hit list is a special one – with legendary keeper Jim Leighton the second most capped Scot behind King Kenny Dalglish on 91. It’s not a ridiculous notion given Gordon’s supreme condition but the no.1 has learned not to look too far down the line.
He said: “That still seems a long way away at this moment in time. I'll just concentrate on the next one and try and get two, and then the next cap is not until March.
“But, yeah, at the moment that still seems like a long way away. I don't set too many long-term goals at this stage of my career, it's all much more short-term and trying to keep playing well.”
That’s the plan tomorrow night – and Gordon is also backing Jambos club mate Lawrence Shankland to make a kind of comeback of his own. The keeper has played with and against enough top strikers to know the drill but he doesn’t need to say anything to his Tynecastle pal.
In fact, when it comes to hitmen going through dry spells, some things are best left unspoken. Gordon said: “I think sometimes just talking about it just keeps it in the air. It's best maybe not to speak about it too much.
“I know how great he can be, I’ve seen that day-in, day-out for the last number of years. I just hope that he remembers that and how good he actually is, because when he is firing and confident then everything he touches turns to goals. It doesn't happen for a couple of months and everyone starts talking about it.
“He's a fantastic player and I'm sure he'll get back to scoring goals. I can't help him with that too much. I went up for a corner and took the defenders away so he got his goal this season, but I can't help him with much more that! Although I’m taking that as an assist!”
Scotland can’t afford to muck about in front of goal against the Croatians but Gordon has fond memories of facing the Balkan big guns, with a draw at Hampden back in 2008.
He said: “I think we've had a fairly good record against them, especially then. But yeah, it was a soaking wet Hampden night. Perhaps if we get another one like that, we can make a few more memories, but this time get the victory instead of the draw.”
Croatia’s veteran superstar Luka Modric spoke of his admiration of Gordon before the last clash but the goalie is hoping to leave the wee man in a huff at Hampden. He said: “That was the first time in five attempts he managed to beat me, so he eventually got me!
“But it was nice to hear him say what he did and hopefully again this week he won't be the oldest player on the pitch and I’ll beat him to that one as well.”
