Scotland’s 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon is going to the World Cup alongside teammates who were not born when he made his national-team debut in 2004.
Scotland coach Steve Clarke announced a 26-man squad Tuesday for the country’s first World Cup in 28 years, with Gordon among three goalkeepers who combined to play in just four league games for their clubs all season.
Gordon would be the second-oldest player in the World Cup’s 96-year history if he gets on the field in North America where Scotland is in a group with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary was 45 when he played at the 2018 World Cup.
Gordon played three times in January for Heart of Midlothian, the long-time Scottish Premiership leader that was edged for the title Saturday by Celtic, but has been dealing with shoulder injuries. The other two goalkeepers, likely first choice Angus Gunn of Nottingham Forest and Liam Kelly of Rangers, have also been largely out of favor at their clubs.
Clarke expressed faith in the trio because “as long as goalkeepers are working to their maximum in training you feel that they can come in and play for a number of games.”
“We got good reports back from Hearts,” the coach said of Gordon. “Craig assures us he’s fully fit. And he deserves to go because he played a part of the qualifying campaign.”
Speedy young Scots
Clarke has two options with speed on the wings in 20-year-old Ben Gannon-Doak of Bournemouth and 19-year-old Findlay Curtis, who impressed in recent months playing for Kilmarnock on loan from Rangers.
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland was also picked and should lead the attack when Scotland opens its World Cup campaign against Haiti on June 14 in Boston.
Scotland, which never advanced out of its group at eight previous World Cups, then plays Morocco in Boston and finishes the group against Brazil in Miami on June 24.
Italian connection
Napoli’s Scott McTominay heads a strong group of midfielders playing for Italian clubs, but Clarke did not include Udinese’s 19-year-old Lennon Miller who was an expected pick.
Clarke said he had “five very difficult conversations” with players that joined the squad for warmup games in March but were not selected Tuesday.
“And I think because Lennon is so young, probably the most difficult,” he said.
The central defenders include Rangers’ John Souttar, whose younger brother Harry Souttar is in line to play for Australia at his second straight World Cup, and Dom Hyam of Wrexham.
The team’s captain is Andy Robertson, the veteran Liverpool left-back who is leaving Anfield after the season.
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Scotland quad:
Goalkeepers: Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Craig Gordon (Heart of Midlothian), Liam Kelly (Rangers).
Defenders: Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al-Ettifaq), John Souttar (Rangers), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Dom Hyam (Wrexham), Anthony Ralston (Celtic).
Midfielders: Scott McTominay (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth), Findlay Curtis (Rangers).
Forwards: Lawrence Shankland (Heart of Midlothian), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton), Ché Adams (Torino), George Hirst (Ipswich), Ross Stewart (Southampton).
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
