JACK Hamilton was so surprised to be handed the No 1 jersey at Hearts this pre-season that he thought the Tynecastle kit man was playing a trick on him. So let's just say he isn't expecting to be named Scotland's number one any time soon.

Once upon a time, though, a young goalkeeper called Craig Gordon enjoyed a sudden emergence into a Craig Levein-inspired set-up at Tynecastle, and history appears to be repeating itself in the form of the 22-year-old from Denny. And who better to guide you through the trials and tribulations of this scenario than Gordon himself, who along with David Marshall is one of the three custodians in Gordon Strachan's squad for the World Cup qualifying opener against Malta?

"Craig wasn't there in the summer [the friendlies against France and Italy] but he is really good," said Hamilton. "He always looks out for me and is the first to send me a text and congratulate me on something and wish me all the best. He is there for a bit of advice if needs be, along with a lot of other people in the game.

"It's good to learn from these people - even going away in the summer with David Marshall," he added. "He is someone else I looked up to as a kid, and when you are out training with him every day and you see what goalkeepers Scotland have got, to be going away with them next week and training with Marshall and Craig will be a real privilege and it is something I will really take on board and learn so much from it."

Gordon, of course, faces intrigue for his first-team spot at club level after the arrival of Dorus de Vries, the kind of speculation which even saving a crucial penalty as Celtic booked their place in the Champions League group stages cannot get rid of. "I can remember watching Craig and seeing the games on the telly and thinking this guy is brilliant, never thinking I would get the opportunity to train with him," said Hamilton. "There is always pressure and there will always be somebody waiting to steal your spot, that's part of being a goalkeeper, but he is a really good goalie."

Hearts signed Swedish goalkeeper Victor Noring from Danish outfit Lyngby but this summer, but Hamilton was the man in possession of the jersey and so far it is the Scandinavian who has played second fiddle. Hamilton has loan spells with Stenhousemuir, East Fife and Forfar Athletic under his belt.

"When I came in for training this summer, I went into the kit room and I had a wee joke with the kit man and I asked, ‘where’s my kit?’" said Hamilton. "He said, ‘it’s up at number one’ and I said, ‘ach, away you go’. He said, ‘no, really it’s up at number one’.

"It was a real shock and the gaffer [Robbie Neilson] pulled me aside and I had a chat with him," Hamilton added. "He said he was going to give me that chance and I appreciated that. Victor Noring came in after that and he’s been good with me as well. He’s there for my place but he’s also there to push each other on."

Part of the Scotland youth ranks from Under-16 onwards, any time on the pitch would see Hamilton fulfil a childhood dream. Having had balls battered away at him by his brother Colin, who plays for Arbroath, from an early age, he was always destined to be a goalkeeper. "That would be the pinnacle, that’s what you dream of as a young kid," said Hamilton. "But just to be in the squad at Hearts means so much to me and hopefully I can go away, keep improving and stay in it."

Speaking at the state-of-the art Oriam centre at Riccarton which Hearts already benefit from - the Scotland national teams are likely to join them here soon - Hamilton doesn't buy into the pessimism about the national team's chances of reaching World Cup 2018 in Russia. "We’ve got some unbelievable players in that Scotland squad and I’m sure their quality will shine through in the games," he said.

**Oriam opens to the public on Monday, 29 August. As well as its role as a high performance base, it offers community memberships – visit www.oriamscotland.com or email memberships@oriam.hw.ac.uk for more info and to arrange a tour.”