At 42, goalie Craig Gordon back in Scotland squad for World Cup qualifying games

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — At age 42, veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon is back in the Scotland squad picked Tuesday for two key 2026 World Cup qualifying games.

Gordon returned to the Scotland camp for home games against Greece and Belarus between Oct. 9-12 despite not playing a game this season for Hearts, the Scottish league leader.

One Scotland teammate, Bournemouth winger Ben Gannon Doak, was not born when Gordon made his national-team debut in May 2004.

Scotland has two home games in Glasgow after a promising start to a four-team qualifying group three weeks ago. Four points were earned without conceding a goal in away games against Denmark and Belarus.

Still, Gordon’s call-up reflects a wider concern for Scotland coach Steve Clarke, who selected three goalkeepers not currently playing regular games at their clubs.

Angus Gunn kept clean sheets in the first two qualifiers despite not playing this season for Nottingham Forest, and Liam Kelly is not first choice at Rangers.

“With the goalkeepers it’s probably still a bit of an issue,” Clarke acknowledged Tuesday. “I’ve spoken to the people I need to speak to about Craig, they’re telling me he’s fully fit.”

Scotland has not played at a World Cup since 1998 — when its goalkeeper was 39-year-old Jim Leighton — six years before Gordon played the first of his 81 games for the national team.

Gordon, the former Celtic and Sunderland goalie, already holds the record as Scotland’s oldest player. He was already 42 in March when he played in a Nations League game against Greece.

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