Exclusive:Hearts' Craig Gordon reveals what his future hinges on - plus thoughts on Chris Brady, Scotland and Greece tie

The imminent Nations League play-off between Scotland and Greece carries so many subplots: Competing for a place in League A, gaining a psychological advantage for World Cup qualifiers, assessing some potential new faces at international level, and a critical goalkeeping decision for Scottish head coach Steve Clarke. Anyone dismissing this two-legged tie as relatively meaningless would be advised to think again.

Scotland seemed destined for relegation to Nations League B last autumn until a draw with Portugal and inspired wins over Croatia and Poland earned a play-off. They travel to the hostile Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus for next Thursday’s first leg with the Greeks before the second leg at Hampden Park three days later. The form of Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon in the above matches was a primary reason behind the rejuvenation as he deputised for the injured Angus Gunn of Norwich City.

“These are big games, huge games, trying to stay in Group A, which would be a fantastic achievement,” says Gordon, speaking exclusively to the Edinburgh News. “It was brilliant to get there, firstly. Then, latterly, to get the points to get ourselves into the play-off to stay there was a fantastic achievement from where we were. We put in some really good performances and maybe didn't get the results that the performances quite deserved. We did get that towards the end of the campaign. That has given us this opportunity now, a two-legged game against Greece, to try and stay there. So, it's one for us to go and have a go and see if we can win that and stay in Group A.”

Clarke must now decide whether 42-year-old Gordon is a better option in goal than fit-again 29-year-old Gunn. The Tynecastle man proved age is no barrier to quality last year - just a few months after his international career seemed over when he missed out on Scotland’s European Championship squad.

“It's great to be back in there, playing in such big games against great opposition and testing ourselves out against them,” says Gordon. “It's been quite a long time between those games and now. Angus is back fit again. So, yeah, I just need to keep playing well, go there and show what I'm capable of in training and hope to get the nod for this game as well.”

Hearts contract and future in Gordon’s mind as he watches Scotland’s possible MLS newcomer

Out of contract at Hearts this summer, Gordon faces critical choices of his own regarding whether to continue playing. How much involvement he gets during the forthcoming international window will be one of many factors in his decision. “I think everything will shape it. Not just that, but that will be a very small part of it,” he admits. “What my thinking will be, it will be my body and what I think I can achieve going forward. It's more to do with me than any sort of results base or performance base. It is what I feel capable of and continue to feel capable of going forward.”

There is the fresh challenge of youth to consider, too. Scotland are keen to call up Chicago Fire’s 21-year-old Chris Brady as a new goalkeeper. “I've seen little bits of clips of him,” explains Gordon. “He looks like a big lad, a young goalkeeper coming through and making his way in the MLS. It would be great to see if that is the case and to see what he brings to the squad. We need Scottish goalkeepers to be playing and getting first-team football. We probably haven't had as much as the manager would like over the last couple of years. It's great to see somebody that is playing.”

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