Gordon 'absolutely' Ready To Start For Scotland

Craig Gordon is "absolutely" fresh to commencement for Scotland successful this month's important World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark contempt being existent second-choice goalkeeper pinch Heart of Midlothian.

The 42-year-old has not featured for nan Scottish Premiership leaders this play aft suffering a cervix wounded successful May and nan summertime signing of Alexander Schwolow pursuing nan 33-year-old German's exit from Union Berlin.

An wounded to Angus Gunn, who started Scotland's first 4 matches successful nan World Cup group stage, leaves caput coach Steve Clarke pinch a determination to make complete a replacement.

Liam Kelly is besides 2nd prime for Rangers, while Scott Bain has been recalled - six years aft earning his 3rd headdress - aft playing regularly for promoted Falkirk pursuing his summertime move from Celtic.

Asked whether he was primed to gain his 82nd headdress successful Piraeus connected Saturday, Gordon replied: "Yeah, absolutely. That's nan manager's call.

"I conscionable spell location and beryllium nan champion that I tin beryllium and spot what happens. I tin conscionable beryllium myself, do what I usually do, train arsenic good arsenic I perchance can.

"It's an unfortunate business that we're successful astatine nan infinitesimal wherever there's not galore goalkeepers playing first-team football."

Clark had showed loyalty to Gunn contempt nan 29-year-old himself being stiff retired astatine Nottingham Forest aft his summertime move from Norwich City.

Gordon's acquisition dwarfs that of nan different remaining goalkeepers successful Clark's squad, though nan erstwhile Celtic and Sunderland number 1 did concede Bain is "a small spot up successful position of lucifer practice".

Having made his Scotland debut successful 2004, Gordon's past quality came successful a 3-0 location conclusion by Greece successful March.

The Scots avenged that Nations League play-off nonaccomplishment pinch a 3-1 triumph astatine Hampden past period and nan Greeks are nary longer successful nan moving for a top-two spot successful Group C.

"We've played them rather a fewer times precocious and mixed results," Gordon said. "They're a very bully team. Really bully going forward, pinch great, imaginative players.

"It's going to beryllium a existent reliable one, sloppy of whether they're already retired aliases not. They've named astir nan aforesaid squad, truthful they're still going pinch nan aforesaid players again."

Gordon was successful nan Scotland squad for nan delayed 2020 European Championship but did not play and was past omitted for nan 2024 tourney successful Germany.

Turning 43 adjacent month, he knows this will beryllium his past chance to play successful a awesome finals and it would fulfill a lifelong dream to play connected nan biggest shape of all.

"To negociate to spell to a World Cup, it's everybody's dream," he added. "There's rather a fewer guys approaching 30 aliases conscionable over. So you're not going to get galore much opportunities.

"This is simply a large one. We've managed to get to a mates of Euros successful a row, truthful everybody's information for this couldn't perchance beryllium higher."