Six Degrees Of Assimilation

Craig Gordon is one of half-a-dozen Celts on regular Scotland duty and he feels the success story is spreading from club to country.

- Mark Henderson

CRAIG Gordon insists Scotland’s resurgence in recent months is helped by Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic revolution spreading to the national team. The Hoops shot-stopper was one of six Celts who started for Gordon Strachan’s side in their two crucial World Cup qualifying victories over Lithuania and Malta earlier this month. The same amount of Hoops players started in Scotland’s 1-0 win over Slovenia in March, while five Bhoys were in the team that drew 2-2 with England in June. 

Prior to picking up these 10 points, the Scots’ World Cup qualification hopes had looked dead and buried, but now they are two victories away from a place in the play-offs. This dramatic turnaround has corresponded with greater numbers of Celtic players, brimming with confidence from their stunning achievements at club level, starting for the national side. And Gordon told the View that it was no coincidence. 

“If you look at the team from the start of the campaign, there was only one player from the first Lithuania game who was still in the team when we played them in the second match, and that shows the change in personnel within a year,” he said in an exclusive interview. “There were no Celtic players playing in the first game compared to six in the second game, so we have been able to take our club form into the international team and play a similar style of football. 

“The other boys are happy playing that way as they want to pass the ball as well and they are good players. Although the systems at each other’s clubs are slightly different, we still manage to put in a performance that suits everyone.