COMEBACK Bhoy Craig Gordon aims to convince Gordon Strachan he should be Scotland’s first-choice goalkeeper.
The Celtic No.1 has been in impressive form since arriving at Parkhead after two years of injury hell and has shown the form that made him a £9million player in 2007. .
And, with crucial European Championship qualifying games on the horizon, Gordon will seek to nail down that slot ahead of ex-Celt David Marshall and Allan McGregor.
He said: “I would like to play the best I can in the best competitions and try to make sure that I put myself in the shop window for trying to get back in the Scotland team and trying to qualify for the European Championships.
“So, of course, would the other guys, David and Allan. We are all vying for that same position. It’s up to me to play the best I possibly can and try to force my way in.
“I don’t know the way Gordon Strachan picks his team and what he thinks about in terms of that and the opposition everyone is playing against, and whether that comes into his thinking.
“That’s probably a question for him. But I want to play at the highest level and play the best I can and, if that results in me getting the Scotland No.1 jersey, then that’s what I would like to try and do.”
Gordon, though, is focused on today’s Premiership curtain-raiser against Ross County and Wednesday’s crucial Champions League third-round second-leg qualifier against Qarabag.
Celtic are defending a 1-0 lead and an overall victory in Azerbaijan will take the SPFL champions through to the the play-off – and 180 minutes from the lucrative group stages.
Gordon said: “I try to play at the highest level I possibly can and try and help Celtic to qualify for the Champions League. We still have a very difficult second leg to come.
“I’ve not played at Champions League level and that’s still something I would like to do.”
And the goalkeeper was delighted to extend his current deal with Celtic this week.
He added: “It first came up towards the end of last season that the club were looking to extend my contract.
“I had a two-year contract with a year option and this is basically the same again.
“It took a bit of working out over the last few months, but in principle, it was agreed at the first meeting.
“It was just a case of the finer details getting sorted out, but, for me, it was always going to happen.”
