Midfield has generally been regarded as the strongest area of Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad, with left-back the position in which we are best served. The return to form of Lyndon Dykes towards the end of 2020/21 coupled with the arrival of Che Adams and Kevin Nisbet on the international scene has also brightened our prospects up front.
Some, though, have expressed concerns over our last lines of defence. David Marshall, 36,whose penalty save against Serbia’s Aleksandr Mitrovic took us to the Euro 2020 finals, was dropped by Wayne Rooney for the final games of the Championship season as Derby County narrowly avoided relegation.
Craig Gordon, by contrast, was winning another title but the 38-year-old did so playing against Alloa, Arbroath and Queen of the South in Scotland’s second tier while Jon McLaughlin (33) was back-up to Allan McGregor for champions Rangers.
Yet Queen’s Park Rangers goalkeeper Liam Kelly, who spent four months on loan at Motherwell last season, points out that McLaughlin kept a clean sheet in 12 of those games and stressed that Marshall and Gordon have been playing for the national team with distinction since 2004.
Since the punishing double-header defeats by Belgium and Russia at the beginning of Steve Clarke’s reign, Scotland have conceded just ten goals in their last 14 competitive games and Kelly claims that no country at the Euros can match Scotland’s strength in depth in that department.
Either Marshall or Gordon will be first choice and Kelly has no qualms about either man.
“They’ve both been around with Scotland for so long that I don’t believe recent form really matters,” said the 25-year-old. “They have so much credit in the bank due to how consistently good they’ve been throughout their time.
“Those three guys were pretty nailed on for the Euros and if I ever reach the level they’re at right now then I’d be absolutely delighted. They’ve been around for a long time but even now, when you look around at the other squads, there won’t be too many countries who’ll have three exceptional goalies the way that Steve Clarke does.
“I admire them so much and, whoever plays in the opener against the Czech Republic at Hampden on June 14, we’ll be in safe hands because all three are brilliant, although they each have their own style.
“Craig, as you’ll have seen yourself, has always been the ultimate shot-stopper. He’s incredible: I was a young ‘keeper at Rangers when Craig turned up at Murray Park to do his rehab after being released by Sunderland. He did a lot of training with me and the other under-20s as he tried to get himself back fully fit.
“I was only 18 then and, as far as I was concerned, the longer he stayed around, the better. I was always asking him questions about this and that – which goalies he liked and what he liked about them - and I learned so much from him during that time. I was probably a pain in the neck but he was, and still is, an unbelievable ‘keeper.
“During the sessions we would take turns trying to score against him and it was impossible: his reflexes were just ridiculous! He was on the short list for Player of the Year in the Championship this season and that says it all.
“David’s a very well-balanced, all-round goalkeeper because I think he has a bit of everything in his game. When he saved that penalty in the shoot-out in Serbia to take us to the finals I was jumping about mental like everybody else. I think everyone apart from David realised he’d done it – he was too busy checking that he hadn’t moved off his line!
“We’ve been in Scotland squads together, including Steve Clarke’s very first one. You could and see David’s quality and experience straight away.
“Nothing’s ever a drama with these guys – there’s never anything to panic or worry about and that’s always pleasing. As for Jon, he’s good with crosses and terrific with the ball at his feet. They’re all great guys as well so you want them to do really well.”
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