CRAIG GORDON insists missing out on the Euro 2008 play-offs a decade ago will help him focus on a Scotland win in Slovenia this evening.
Three points will see Gordon Strachan’s men win a play-off play for the World Cup Finals in Russia next summer.
The international keeper was part of Alex McLeish’s side beaten by Italy at Hampden in 2007 to prolong their exile from major tournaments.
Gordon recalled: “That was in the early part of my international career.
“I maybe thought there might be many more opportunities to come at that stage, but there hasn’t been.
“Now at 34, nearly 35, it is something that might not come again. For me, it is a big moment to try and grasp and, hopefully, we can all play as if it is our last opportunity and try and grab it.”
A 1-0 win over Slovenia at Hampden in March, courtesy of a late Chris Martin goal, was the starting point of Scotland’s current five-game unbeaten run.
Gordon, who has kept a clean sheet in four of those outings, added: “That was a big moment in the group for us.
“It was a very late goal to get the three points, which started the run we have been on since. If that didn’t happen and we only got a draw, we probably wouldn’t be sitting here now and hoping to get a play-off place.
“That gave us a lot of confidence and we have gone on a good run from there.
“We are in a good place, especially after the start of the campaign. It is up to us now to try to get one more win.
“We have done well over the last four or five games to put ourselves in this position.
“Now we have to make that final jump and get the points to make sure we do it.”
NEW CQN PODCAST – A CELTIC STATE OF MIND OUT NOW!
A NEW CQN Podcast is posted tonight featuring interviews with Celtic legends Bobby Lennox, John Fallon, Tommy Callaghan and Kenny Dalglish.
This week, ‘A Celtic State of Mind’ pays tribute to The Quality Street Gang.
In the second of a two-part series, Paul John Dykes interviews:
Bobby Lennox, John Fallon, Tommy Callaghan and Kenny Dalglish!
The discussion is all about one of the finest crops of youngsters ever to emerge from Celtic Park…
And we finally reveal just where that nickname came from.
Enjoy the new podcast…
The new Invincibles treble disc DVD is now available from CQN Bookstore HERE. It is quite simply unmissable. What a season that was!
All CQN t-shirts are now reduced to £10, choose from our Invincibles shirt, the Jock Stein one or the Gotcha classic! We’ve added some new books too and there’s some crackers on the way! More on that over the next few weeks or so.
