GORDON’S WEE MAN HANGS ON
CRAIG GORDON ended up having a more fraught time BEFORE facing Ukraine than when he actually came up against them.
Little wonder, with the impending birth of his baby boy — already a week overdue — threatening to have Scotland’s No 1 at a hospital bedside rather than between the sticks at Hampden.
Now the Hearts keeper is hoping the wee fella hangs off just a little longer to allow him to face Ireland at the national stadium tonight.
The 39-year-old would love to help Scotland build on that sensational show against Ukraine that propelled Steve Clarke’s side to the top of their Nations League section.
It puts them firmly in the driving seat for promotion to Group A, a play-off spot for Euro 2024 in Germany and being a Pot Two team in next week’s qualifying draw.
Finish
That’s providing they can finish the job against the Irish and when they take on Ukraine again in Poland on Tuesday.
He smiled: “Wednesday was an eventful day. The due date was seven days earlier and hopefully, the baby arrives in the next couple of days.
“If things had progressed, maybe I wouldn’t have played. I’ll need to thank him when he eventually comes for hanging off just a little bit longer!”
Scotland’s display in the 3-0 victory over Ukraine was another delight or Gordon.
“When I came into the dressing room, I said ‘well done lads, that was a good watch’.
“I don’t think they (Ukraine) had a shot on target.
“A couple of things flashed across the face of goal, one that I punched clear and then one that I had to come out of the box for but apart from that, it was fairly quiet.
“I thought the players were absolutely fantastic. In terms of our general play, our pressing, we got so much right.
“I think Nathan Patterson’s injury kind of knocked us for five to ten minutes. It’s sad for him after coming back and getting some games under his belt in the Premier League.
“We know we’ve got a good squad. We see it every day in training when we’re together.
“We have to keep that up now, that level and speed we played at. If we can do that it’s very difficult for any team to play us.”
SCOTT McKENNA still has the video nasty of the day he was given his marching orders for almost halving John McGinn.
By the big defender’s own admission that X-rated Scottish Cup shocker remains the worst tackle of his career.
Five years on from that walk of shame nobody is more delighted — and relieved — than McKenna to see McGinn enter Scottish football’s Hall of Fame.
Scotland’s talismanic midfielder and stand-in skipper will join the list of legends on the Hampden roll of honour with his 50th cap tonight, while McKenna is on the verge of his 28th.
It’s a far cry from when McGinn was strutting his stuff with Hibs while McKenna was making a name for himself in the wrong kind of way on loan at Ayr from Aberdeen.
NO HARM DONE: McKenna and McGinn are the best of pals – despite that infamous tackle in the Scottish Cup in 2017
The footage of that scything challenge that caught McGinn somewhere round the midriff still gets produced at every international camp.
And the Nottingham Forest stopper said: “That tackle is probably still one of the worst ones I’ve made!
Phone
“Thankfully we’ve both managed to move on from it and are both doing okay.
“I’ve still got the video on the phone to show him when I need to. I keep it because he will tell someone new in nearly every camp that I did it to him. “I like to keep the evidence. To be fair, John’s probably too strong for me now but it’s great we have both managed to come so far from that day.”
McKenna has nothing but praise for the man who is set to wear the captain’s armband in Andy Robertson’s absence again.
He added: “Fifty caps is a great milestone and John fully deserves it as well.
“He will go on to make many, many more and hopefully he’ll keep scoring those important goals for us and putting in top performances.
“Whenever you see John in an attacking position you know he’s going to create something for someone else or he’s going to score.
Hope
“More times than not he will take those opportunities for us. I hope that will continue.
“He’s not a massive screamer or shouter in the dressing room. It’s just the way he leads on the pitch — he will make a forward pass or a tackle and it brings the rest of the boys with him.”
McKenna was rock solid in the heart of a back four alongside Jack Hendry in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Ukraine.
It was a partnership forged four years ago when the duo were blooded by Alex McLeish with one eye on the future.
McKenna was handed the captain’s armband at 21 for a 1-0 friendly defeat to Mexico in June 2018 in which he and Hendry were tasked with keeping Raul Jiminez quiet.
Now 25, the defender is hoping to make a central defensive berth his own.
He said: “Jack and I came into the squad at the same time in March 2018. Since then we have both had our ups and downs but thankfully we are still getting to play for Scotland.
“I was able to reach 25 caps in the last camp and that was a massive honour for me.
“The times Jack and I have played together in the past we have a decent understanding.
“The results weren’t maybe what we wanted, but against Ukraine we put in a good display.”