Hearts teenager scores for Scotland as Craig Gordon hits another milestone in Greece

Craig Gordon is now joint-fourth on the list of Scotland’s most-capped players after Thursday’s UEFA Nations League play-off in Greece. The Hearts goalkeeper kept his 34th clean sheet at international level in the determined 1-0 victory in Piraeus, which came courtesy of Scott McTominay’s first-half penalty.

Gordon joined Darren Fletcher on 80 caps and is set to stand alone as the fourth most-capped internationalist on 81 caps this Sunday, when Greece visit Hampden Park for the play-off return leg. Scotland had to withstand sustained pressure from the Greeks during the second half in Piraeus as Gordon saw out the game without conceding a goal. The 42-year-old is certain to keep his place for the second leg.

Teenage Hearts striker James Wilson was an unused substitute during the match after earning his first senior international call-up last week. Scotland coach Steve Clarke named Wilson fellow 18-year-old Lennon Miller of Motherwell in the squad to face Greece in an effort to nurture a new generation of players. Wilson will hope for his first cap at Hampden on Sunday.

Other Hearts players involved during international fortnight include the Scotland Under-21 triumvirate of goalkeeper Liam McFarlane, defender Adam Forrester and midfielder Finlay Pollock. McFarlane is on loan at East Fife with Pollock at Raith Rovers, while Forrester has played 26 times for the Edinburgh club so far this season.

Scotland Under-21s play the first of two friendlies in San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain, on Friday night against Republic of Ireland at the Pinatar Arena. They then face Iceland at the same venue on Tuesday.

Costa Rica Gold Cup matches and Scotland Under-21 games hold plenty Hearts interest

Kenneth Vargas and Gerald Taylor are with the Costa Rica squad for a Gold Cup qualifying double header against Belize. The first leg takes place in the early hours of Saturday morning in Belmopan, and the return game is in San José in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Scotland Under-19s are without Hearts representation after defender Matthew Gillies withdrew from the squad, but the Under-17s were well served by one Riccarton youngster in particular this week. Brian McLaughlin’s youngsters played the first of three UEFA League B fixtures on Wednesday against North Macedonia at Broadwood. Matches against Romania and Liechtenstein are still to come, but the young Scotland began with a 2-2 draw including a goal for Hearts’ Taylor Hogarth.

McLaughlin included the versatile Tynecastle midfielder Alfie Osborne in his initial squad of 20 players. The 16-year-old played 90 minutes against North Macedonia after getting the honour of training alongside senior Scotland players on Monday. A number of youths were asked to join training with the full squad at Lesser Hampden, Osborne joined by Fletcher Boyd of Aberdeen, Rangers’ Aiden McCallion and Jamie Hislop of Ayr United.

Hogarth joined the squad as a late call-up with Aberdeen’s Cooper Masson after Queen's Park's Cole Burke and and Rangers' Oliver Goodbrand withdrew. Hogarth, a left-footed midfielder and former Scotland Under-16s captain, was with Hearts Under-18s at the start of the campaign. He lately earned promotion to the B team at Riccarton.

He came on for Masson after 72 minutes against North Macedonia and put Scotland ahead eight minutes later. Boyd’s shot was blocked and ricocheted into Hogarth’s path. He stroked the ball through the goalkeeper's legs to make it 2-1. However, three minutes later, Lorent Zkahu drew the Macedonians level.

Scotland Under-17s now preparing for Saturday’s match with Romania, also at Broadwood, and then Tuesday’s game against Liechtenstein at the Falkirk Stadium.

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