World Cup 2026: Craig Gordon 'deserves' Scotland place despite injury-hit season, says Steve Clarke
Steve Clarke has named a 26-man squad for the World Cup; 43-year-old Craig Gordon is included despite an injury-hit season; Ross Stewart is recalled for the first time since 2022; Scotland take on Haiti in their World Cup opener on June 14, before group games against Morocco and Brazil
Tuesday 19 May 2026 14:15, UK
Steve Clarke believes 43-year-old Craig Gordon "deserves" his place in Scotland's World Cup squad, despite missing most of Hearts' season.
The veteran goalkeeper, who made just three appearances for the Jambos this season, has been included in the 26-man squad for this summer's tournament.
Angus Gunn of Nottingham Forest and Liam Kelly of Rangers will also be in the plane to America despite also not featuring regularly at club level this season.
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"Always difficult when you've got goalkeepers that are not playing regularly," Clarke said.
"As long as goalkeepers are working to their maximum in training, you feel that they can come in and play for a number of games.
"Craig's slightly different in that he picked up an injury. We've had him monitored, we've got good reports back from Hearts. Craig assures us he's fully fit.
"He deserves to go, because he played a part in the qualifying campaign.
"Liam's in there because he's a very good third goalkeeper, he's good around the squad, his character's good, the players respect him, and he works ever so hard in camp, so that's how I managed to come down on the three goalkeepers.
"We can change a goalkeeper at any time across the tournament, so if Craig was to struggle a little bit with injury, which hopefully he won't, and we're pretty certain that he won't do that, we can always have the option to change him.
When I go away, I will put a young goalkeeper into the squad as a training goalkeeper which should alleviate a little bit of pressure on the goalkeepers in terms of training loads.
"I can't give you a name just now because we haven't told the player himself."
Curtis offers 'something a little bit different'
19-year-old Findlay Curtis is included after making his Scotland debut against Japan in March.
The Rangers midfielder joined Kilmarnock on loan in January, ending his stay at Rugby Park with five goals.
"Impressed with him when I brought him into the camp in March," the former Killie boss said. "He fitted in very well.
"He's got something a little bit different to what we've got. He's also shown that he can score a goal or two in a Kilmarnock team that was struggling down the bottom of the league.
"The team has finished well, Findlay has finished the season in a great place and it's nice to have a young one in the squad.
"Young players need to play football. If they want to improve, they have to play.
"Sometimes that can involve making big decisions and I think for Findlay to make a decision to leave Rangers in January and go and play at Kilmarnock shows you that if you make the right choices at the right time, and you have the ability to back up that decision, things can work in your favour."
Stewart 'striker in form'
An impressive campaign from Southampton's Ross Stewart sees him make a return to the Scotland squad for the World Cup.
The former Ross County and Sunderland player scored a crucial goal as his side reached the Championship play-off final.
"Ross was in my squad a few years ago, showing that he could come up to this level. He was good in the squad, and then he's had a terrible run of injury," Clarke said of the 29-year-old who has not been called-up since 2022.
"This season, certainly the latter half of the season from January onwards, he's hit a rich vein of form.
"He's shown that he can score big goals in big games. I'll probably reference the Arsenal game in the Cup, where he shows that he can have an impact in games at that level, which the World Cup will be a very high level as well.
"He's shown that he can score from the bench, and he's a striker in form, so I decided to add him to the group."
Shankland's chance to shine?
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland joins Ross in attack, along with Torino's Che Adams, Charlton Athletic's Lyndon Dykes and Ipswich Town's George Hirst.
The 30-year-old is the most prolific of the strikers selected, scoring 20 goals in all competitions for the Jambos this season.
"I've got no fears about any of my players leading the line," Clarke said of Shankland after Hearts' last-day title defeat to Celtic.
"Lawrence has had a fantastic season, his club have had a fantastic season.
"Obviously, it ended in a bit of heartbreak which is part and parcel of football. Footballers are very resilient, they understand the lows are probably more painful than the highs are exciting and enjoyable.
"It'll take him a few days and a few conversations. He just needs to decompress a little bit now and be ready to have a big impact in the squad and the tournament this summer."
Scotland's World Cup squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Liam Kelly (Rangers).
Defenders: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al Etiffaq), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Dom Hyam (Wrexham), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic).
Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Finlay Curtis (Kilmarnock), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli).
Forwards: Che Adams (Torino), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton Athletic), George Hirst (Ipswich), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Ross Stewart (Southampton).
Where do Scotland play and when?
If you're not planning to go out to North America, prepare for some late nights! Or should that be early mornings?!
Scotland's World Cup opener will be against Haiti in Boston on June 13 at 9pm local time - but that's 2am on June 14 UK time!
Scotland stay on in Boston to face Morocco on June 19 at 6pm local time - 11pm UK time. Then it's down to Miami to take on Brazil five days later, and that's another 11pm UK time kick-off.
For those of you heading out there - if you think Euro 2024 was a trip of a lifetime, well, this is going to be the trip of a lifetime.
The 2026 tournament will take place across 16 cities in three North American countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
