Craig Gordon set for Scotland recall ahead of crucial triple-header
Craig Gordon is set to complete another remarkable Scotland comeback when the Hearts goalkeeper is named in Steve Clarke’s squad for next month’s crucial triple-header.
The 37-year-old was the Jambos’ Hampden hero on Saturday as he pulled off two stunning saves against Edinburgh rivals Hibernian to send Robbie Neilson’s men into next month’s Scottish Cup final.
Gordon’s reward is set to be a recall to the national team for the Euro 2020 play-off final against Serbia in Belgrade on November 12 and the Nations League clashes with Slovakia and Israel that follow.
The former Celtic and Sunderland ‘keeper made the last of his 54 Scotland appearances in a 3-1 friendly defeat against Portugal in 2018.
But his inclusion – which will be announced by Clarke when he holds a 2pm press conference at Hampden on Tuesday – is the result of a return to form as he now looks to challenge David Marshall for a place in the starting XI.
Speaking after his man-of-the-match display in Saturday’s extra-time triumph over Hibs helped tee up a clash with former club Celtic on December 20, he said: „I’d love to be in the Scotland squad for Serbia. I came away to try and play games and give myself the opportunity to be in there.
„I’ve been playing well so I’m happy and confident in my own performances. That’s all I can do.
„Beyond that it’s up to the manager to make a decision. The team has been doing really well so I’ll respect whatever that decision is.“
Gordon endured a frustrating final year at Celtic Park as injury and the form of Fraser Forster limited him to just six appearances before the 2019/20 season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But the veteran shot-stopper has quickly proved he still has plenty to offer Hearts since returning to Tynecastle over the summer.
He made a stunning reaction save to keep out Kevin Nisbet’s close-range header during the first half at Hampden before denying Hibs again as he prevented Christian Doidge’s over head kick from sending the match to a penalty shoot-out.
This is not the first time Gordon has been forced to battle his way back into contention for the national side.
It appeared his international career was over as a combination of arm and knee injuries robbed him of two years of action while at Sunderland and threatened to force him into early retirement.
But after being given the chance to prove his fitness by then Celtic boss Ronny Deila in the summer of 2014, he was soon back in the national team fold and ended a four-year absence from the Scotland side when he came off the bench to face England in a friendly later that year.
Gordon will now have his sights set on snatching Marshall’s starting slot ahead of the trip to Belgrade, where Clarke’s team will aim to finally end the country’s 22-year wait to reach a major finals.
The Scots’ final Nations League fixtures could also have a major bearing on their 2022 World Cup hopes.
Scotland currently top League B2 and need just one more win to all-but guarantee themselves the insurance policy of a play-off slot for the tournament in Qatar.
Soccer Accumulator Bonus
Our fantastic Euro Soccer accumulator offer gives you the chance to earn a bonus of up to 100% on accumulators on the top domestic leagues in Europe along with the group and knockout stages of the Champions League.
This offer applies to returns on pre-match accumulators of 3 or more selections on Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga 1 or UEFA Champions League.
The maximum bonus that you can receive is ˆ100,000 or currency equivalent. The bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based .on the remaining active stake. If a qualifying bet is edited .using our Edit Bet feature. The bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply. Double Chance bets or combination bets with bonuses. Such as Lucky 15’s or Lucky .31’s do not apply for this offer.
If your bet is successful, we will add the following bonuses to your returns:
Bet Type Bonus
14-folds and upwards 100% bonus
Terms and Conditions
Applies to straight pre-match accumulator bets on the Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga .1 or Australian A-League matches. Maximum bonus ˆ100,000 or currency equivalent. Soccer Accumulator Bonus does not apply to Double Chance bets or combination. bets with bonuses such as Lucky 15’s, Lucky 31’s etc.
If any selections are postponed/void then the bonus will still apply, but the percentage bonus added will reflect the actual number of winning selections. For example, an 8-fold accumulator with 7. winners and 1 postponed match will receive a 30% .bonus to returns.
The bonus part of your returns will be added to your account within 24 hours of your final selection having played.
This bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based on the remaining active stake.
If a qualifying bet is edited using our Edit Bet feature, the bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply.
Where any term of the offer or promotion is breached or there is any evidence of a series of bets placed by a customer or group of customers, which due to a deposit bonus, enhanced payments, free bets, risk free bets or any other promotional offer results in guaranteed customer profits irrespective of the outcome, whether individually or as part of a group, bet365 reserves the right to reclaim the bonus element of such offers and in their absolute discretion either settle bets at the correct odds, void the free and risk free. bets or void any bet funded by the deposit bonus.
In addition bet365 .reserve the right to levy an administration charge on the customer up to the value of the deposit bonus, free bet, risk free bet or additional payment to cover administrative costs. We further reserve the right to ask any customer to provide sufficient documentation for us to be satisfied in our absolute discretion as to the customer’s identity prior to us crediting any bonus, free bet, risk free bet or offer to their account.
All bet365 offers are intended for recreational players and bet365 may in its sole discretion limit the eligibility of customers to participate in all or part of any promotion.
.
