Steven Naismith gives Scotland verdict on Hearts hopefuls - 'it's a fight for your position'

Gordon and Clark both want spots in the Scotland squad – but one goalkeeper has clear edge

When Steve Clarke names his Scotland squad early next week, there will be plenty of interested onlookers at Hearts.

Star striker Lawrence Shankland will surely be in the squad, given he has scored 27 goals this season, the latest in front of onlooking national team manager Steve Clarke as the Jambos defeated Celtic 2-0. At the other end of the pitch, Zander Clark looks a shoo-in too, given he has performed well this season and won his first cap last year. But will it be one goalkeeper from Hearts, or two? Craig Gordon will hope it’s the latter, now that the 41-year-old is fully fit from a broken leg and desperate to be back in the international set-up.

Gordon’s problem is the form of Clark. While many expected the veteran stopper to win his place back, Clark has raised his game. Penalty saves against Hibs and Celtic have caught the eye but his general play has been strong. Hearts manager Steven Naismith has only called upon Gordon in the Scottish Cup, and he has made some good saves in wins over Spartans and Airdrieonians. He will get another chance to remind Clarke of his credentials in Monday’s quarter-final away at Morton, but Naismith – a former coach under Clarke – knows there is little room for sentiment. Motherwell’s Liam Kelly also has a shout of being involved for the friendlies against Northern Ireland and Netherlands later this month – and then the Euro 2024 squad in the summer.

Craig Gordon, left, and Zander Clark are vying for places in the Scotland squad.

“There's definitely a case [for both Hearts keepers],” said Naismith. “For me, Zander has done enough in the last year. He's then been selected to start in a game, which shows he's in the manager's plans and the manager is comfortable selecting him and calling upon him when needed. I think for Craigy, the big question mark was is he fit, can he get back to the level he was at. I think he has shown that, so there is definitely a case.

“But from working with the manager, working in that environment and seeing where everybody is, there will be a few goalies who will sit there and think they're in a position to be potentially called up – plus there are guys that have been there and have been part of the journey. You can't rule that out as well. So yeah, we are in a good place. The two of them will definitely have their mind or half-an-eye on the squad to see if they can make it. But all they can do is keep performing.”

Naismith and Clarke have an open line of communication and speak often – but goalkeepers don’t dominate the agenda. “We talk regularly in general – the topic isn't ‘oh, what is the goalie situation’,” explained Naismith. “Any time that we talk, he asks about the players. We've got [defender Stephen] Kingsley who has been in it in recent years, we've got the goalies, we've got Shanks, so he wants to understand where everyone is at. When Craigy was injured, he wanted to see how he was doing because that question mark would be there, but it's not like we've spoken specifically about the goalies.”

Having two quality options in between the sticks is a plus for Naismith. “They are experienced guys, two guys who get on and push each other,” added the manager. “I've not really spoken too much to him about it, but there will be a bit of frustration from Craigy. He's desperate to play and an experienced pro, but this goes back to speaking how highly Zander is doing. You can see he is on top form, but that's where we're at – it will be who is performing well. It's not a case that we've got this No 1 and a No 2 – it's a fight for your position.”

And perhaps a fight for a Scotland spot, too.