Steve Clarke: Leigh Griffiths is a great option off the bench for Scotland - as he's shown at Celtic

Scores are level in Belgrade with five minutes left. Scotland win a free-kick 25 yards from the Serbian goal. The entire Tartan Army are willing only one man to step forward.

Celtic's Leigh Griffiths celebrates after scoring against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on October 4. Now he has earned a Scotland recall. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Thankfully, he has been recalled to the squad by national coach Steve Clarke after a two-year absence.

Leigh Griffiths will likely start as a substitute in next Thursday’s European Championship play-off final given the form of Lyndon Dykes and Ryan Fraser in dark blue. However, his presence offers a unique goalscoring threat.

Clarke knows that having the Celtic forward in reserve, even short of full match fitness, could be the difference as Scotland strive to reach a major tournament for the first time since 1998.

Griffiths’ two free-kicks against England three years ago etched his name in Scottish football folklore. He would eclipse even that achievement were he to climb off the bench to decisive effect in the Serbian capital.

Dykes and Fraser are the men in possession of the jerseys and Griffiths hasn’t been without his troubles this year due to injury and health issues. It says much about his uncanny ability to score goals that he is back in the international fold at such a critical time.

“What Leigh gives us is quality inside the 18-yard box,” said Clarke. “He’s obviously not fully match fit because he’s starting almost every game for Celtic on the bench. But then he’s also shown that he can come on and be a threat in the opposition box.

“His finish against St Johnstone was a terrific header and his goal at Aberdeen was top quality.

“So if you need someone to come off the bench – as well as Lawrence Shankland or Oli McBurnie or Ryan Fraser or whoever – I also have an option with Leigh to come off the bench and help us to score. The more options I have the better.”

Also celebrating Scotland recalls in a 27-man squad are the Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon and Norwich City defender Grant Hanley.

The national team embark on three vital away games next week, the play-off final in Serbia preceding Nations League ties in Slovakia and Israel.

“It’s obviously a bonus that I can pick people of the quality of Leigh Griffiths, Craig Gordon and Grant Hanley. That gives us a little bit more depth,” said Clarke.

“If it was three home games I probably wouldn’t have such a big squad. But the fact that it’s three away games means I need a bigger squad to travel. Hopefully everyone turns up fit and well and makes my job tougher when it comes to the starting eleven.”

George Square or Red Square

If Scotland can complete the task and eliminate Serbia, they could find themselves heading to Russia next summer. UEFA are rethinking plans to hold the European Championship across 12 different countries and may choose one host nation.

The Russians are firmly in the running as it stands. That would deny Scotland two group games at Hampden Park and one at Wembley under the original tournament format.

Clarke isn’t fussed in the slightest. More than two decades in the international wilderness can have that effect.

“The Tartan Army can either celebrate and enjoy themselves in George Square or Red Square, I don’t care, as long as we’re there,” he said.

“With the pandemic as it is at the moment no-one knows what’s going to happen just now, never mind next summer.

“I would imagine UEFA are looking at contingencies, but so far as we are aware here at the Scottish FA everything goes ahead as planned until or unless the virus dictates that things have to change.

“They would need to have something in place as an alternative to make sure the tournament went ahead. If it was here in Glasgow it would be great. If it has to be in Russia and we have qualified for the finals, then great.”

Hallmarks of Kilmarnock

Clarke is expected to continue using a three-man defence in his attempt to make history. Scott McTominay, Declan Gallagher and Andy Considine were collectively defiant in Scotland’s wins against Israel, Slovakia and Czech Republic last month.

Kieran Tierney is back after being forced into isolation during the last camp. Hanley, Liam Palmer, Liam Cooper and Scott McKenna are also available.

“Andrew Considine came into the last camp late, with not a lot of time to work with the lads, but showed his experience and his qualities on the pitch,” said Clarke.

“The good thing for me is that I worked in Scottish football for 20 months before I took the national job, so I know the qualities these boys have got.

“It wasn’t like I was taking a stab in the dark with them. I knew when I put Andrew in that he would acquit himself well.”

The detailed defensive focus has led to comments that Scotland are starting to bear hallmarks of the team Clarke built at Kilmarnock before joining the Scottish FA.

“When you are in a club environment then within 12 weeks of being there you would hope you have nailed down your team, your squad, the way you want to play and your basic principles rather than a set formation,” he said.

“It probably takes eight, nine or ten international camps to start getting that message across. Hopefully in the last couple of camps it has started to come across to the players.

“Last month was a very good month for us in terms of three good wins which set us up nicely for this month, but we can’t get too carried away because the month before everyone was telling us ‘you’re no good’.

“We ‘didn’t know what we were doing’ and the one I liked the most was the ‘square pegs in round holes’ stuff people throw at you.

“We have to stay level-headed, we have to stay focused on the job in hand. We need to play to the maximum in these three games.”

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