Craig Gordon determined to take chance to reclaim Scotland number one spot

Craig Gordon is looking to take advantage of his latest chance to claim the number one spot for Scotland.

The 38-year-old Hearts keeper has been in and out of the national side over the years since making his debut in a 4–1 win over Trinidad and Tobago at Easter Road on May 30, 2004.

David Marshall has recently been first choice under Steve Clarke and played in all three of Scotland's Euro 2020 matches in the summer.

However, Marshall has fallen out of favour at Derby and was left out the Scotland squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Denmark, Moldova and Austria, as was Rangers' number two Jon McLaughlin.

St Johnstone's Zander Clark and Motherwell's Liam Kelly were called up by Clarke but Gordon is set to win his 58th cap against the Danes on Wednesday night.

The former Sunderland and Celtic keeper, on top form with Hearts, spoke about the peaks and troughs of international fortunes.

He said: "You just have to keep working hard, playing as well as you can and putting the pressure on, and you never know what can happen, whether it is injury or what has happened to David at Derby.

"For me, it was about controlling my own performances, doing all I could and if the opportunity arose then be there and ready to take it and it has come around.

"As I say, you just never know, it is about being in the right place at the right time sometimes and thankfully I have managed to be here, fit and ready to take the position when it became available.

"Sometimes it can last, you can go years without playing at times if somebody is in and playing well.

"I have experienced it both for and against me at different times, as we all have over the last decade or so, so nothing comes as too much of a surprise when things like this happen.

"Everyone's careers go up and down at different times and this is obviously great for me personally to be back at this time.

"We have some difficult games coming up so it is up to me to go in there and try to keep that position."