CRAIG GORDON has been tipped for a Scotland international comeback – if he gets game time away for Celtic.
The 37-year-old keeper is a free agent after his contract expired at the start of the month and he revealed he knocked back the offer of an extension from the nine-in-a-row champions, as CQN reported yesterday.
St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin wants to lure the towering shotstopper to Paisley, but the former £9million man has admitted he is no rush to make a decision about his future.
Gordon won the last of his 54 caps in October 2018 although he is desperate to attract the attention of Steve Clarke again with crucial Euro 2021 Championship play-off games on the horizon.
Former Scotland goalkeeping guru Jim Stewart, the ex-Kilmarnock, Middlesbrough, Rangers and St Mirren No.1, told the Scottish Sun: “I know from speaking to Craig that he still has a hankering to get back playing for Scotland.
“If you look at it from his point of view, Scotland are in the Euro play-offs and could be playing at a major finals next summer.
“He still has the desire and ambition, I’ve no doubt about that. But he knows he has to be playing regularly somewhere.
“I’ve seen him being linked with St Mirren and obviously playing for a club in the Premiership would be good for him.
“When I look at the Scotland set-up, I’m sure Craig would be in Steve Clarke’s thoughts if he was playing regularly.
“Steve will look at some of the younger keepers around at the moment, but if Scotland have big games to reach a final tournament you’d want your experienced guys in.
“And that’s a category Craig would come into. Even as a back-up option, he’d be a good guy to have involved.
“Looking at it from the outside, it looks like he’s the odd man out at Celtic.
“But I know he’s happy with his own fitness, so it’s a question of what he wants to do for himself.”
Stewart, now 66, reflected on the two years of Gordon’s enforced inactivity when it looked as though his career was over due to a complicated knee injury and added: “I know Craig sees that period he was out injured as lost time.
“But it could be that it actually helps him to extend his playing career.
“If he gets back playing at a good level, he’ll be in Steve Clarke’s thoughts.
“He’ll know that a fit Craig could be a help to him and that’s what every manager wants.
“We all want to see Scotland at a major finals again because it’s been too long.”
