Craig Gordon goes into Scotland's World Cup build-up at 43, and the goalkeeper is already talking like someone who knows the hard part has been getting here. He says making the squad is a triumph in itself, and if he plays he would become the second-oldest player in World Cup history, behind Essam El Hadary. He is also doing it with an eight-week-old son at home.

Why Gordon sees the call-up as the win already

Gordon's own line says enough about where his head is at. “It’s a bit of a triumph that I’ve even managed to make it here,” he said, after also stressing that he wants to prepare as if he is still Scotland's number one. That is the right attitude for a keeper in this spot, because the battle is still live and there is no need to pretend otherwise.

The age story is unavoidable, though. Gordon is being described as the oldest player at the tournament, and the scale of that stands out because he is not being carried along for sentiment. He remains in the squad, he still backs himself, and he is asking for the same preparation he would demand at any other stage of his career.

The family detail gives the whole thing a slightly different feel without turning it into a fairy tale. Gordon has said the sleepless nights and nappies are helping keep him young, and that sits alongside the more basic football fact that he is still in the conversation for the shirt.

Scotland's build-up has one more hard deadline

Scotland open against Haiti, and that fixture matters because the keeper decision has to be made in the real world, not in abstract. Gordon's next chance to turn the story from squad status into history is immediate, with the group stage opening giving the selection debate a clear deadline.

Ryan Christie adds a different note to the camp. He said he is “pinching myself” at the chance to play at the World Cup, and called Brazil in Scotland's final group game “a cool game to be part of.” It is a softer, more open expression of excitement, but it fits the mood around this Scotland squad.

That is why Gordon's line feels so strong. He is not selling a dream. He is treating the World Cup as something he has already earned, then keeping one eye on the possibility that he could become the second-oldest player in the tournament's history if Steve Clarke picks him to play.

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