Gordon eyes finals to keep up appearances

Published Date: 10 October 2008 NOBODY in the present Scotland squad requires any other incentive for victory over Norway tomorrow than the prospect of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time in 12 years. But there are one or two for whom qualifying for major championships may be crucial to establishing individual records. At 25, Craig Gordon is expected to win his 35th cap at Hampden and the big Sunderland goalkeeper is entitled to nourish the hope of one day surpassing Jim Leighton's mark of 91 appearances, or even the hallowed 102 of Kenny Dalglish, the only Scot in history to have reached the century. James McFadden (aged 25 and 40 caps) and Darren Fletcher (24-39) are others with genuine pretensions to the distinction, but the universally recognised truth that goalkeepers enjoy greater longevity and are less at... [read full story]