READY FOR EUR CALL
Gordon’s Scotland target
Craig gordon insists he’s returned to the form that made him Scotland no.1 – even though he’s not had a chance to show it.
The 41-year-old Hearts keeper is desperate to be included in the national squad that Steve Clarke’s names next week for the upcoming friendlies with the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.
That is despite his game time at Tynecastle having been restricted to just two Scottish Cup victories since suffering a horrific double leg break on Christmas Eve in 2022.
The 74-times capped Gordon is behind Zander Clark in the pecking order at Hearts but has become the unofficial cup keeper and is set to play in Monday’s quarter-final tie at Morton.
And the evergreen goalie still hopes he can force his way back into Clarke’s plans ahead of Euro 2024 this summer.
He said: “I feel physically I am ready and at that level. But that’s for the Scotland manager to decide. I know I have not played an awful lot of games.
“You never know. I still feel as if I could play at that level and still want to.
“I’ll play as much as I am given the opportunity to and every time I do I’ll try to show what I am capable of.
“To an extent that is out of my control. What I can control is my fitness levels, my readiness to play and my performance if I do get the chance.
“That’s what I have been focused on the whole time. That’s what getting back from the injury was all about.
“I feel as if I have been at that level for a couple of months at least. It’s almost in other people’s hands now. I’ve definitely done as much as I could.
“I can look at myself in the mirror and be very happy with how I have gone about getting back and the levels I feel I am at. Now it’s kind of wait and see and hope for the best.”
Norwich keeper Angus Gunn and Clark are expected to be named in the squad, while Motherwell’s Liam Kelly is also in with a shout.
Clarke has called up keepers in the past who have not been playing regular club football, including Rangers No.2 Robby McCrorie.
And Gordon admits that is something he is clinging on to. He added: “I hope so. I don’t know what the manager is thinking. There’s always that little bit of hope because it has happened in the past. Hopefully I’m the beneficiary of that this time.”
Gordon is set for a third appearance of the season in Monday’s televised clash at Cappielow but insists there has been no guarantee from boss Steven Naismith that he will actually play in the cup games.
He added: “There’s no definitive or anything like that. It’s just one game at a time and whoever is playing in that match.
“I haven’t spoken to the manager, I haven’t chapped his door. That’s his job! My job is to be ready to play. “I feel I am in a really good place physically, so that’s all I can do, I can only focus on what I can do. I’m ready.” big PUsh Craig launches the Maroon Mile with Anne Budge and Andrew Milne