Of all the positions in the Scotland squad, goalkeeper must go down as one of the most difficult to infiltrate as a new squad member.
The No1 spot has been fiercely guarded by a string of superb shot-stoppers in recent years with little deviation from the trusted hands of Craig Gordon, Allan McGregor and David Marshall.
Extend the timeline back to 2017 and only Jordan Archer, Scott Bain and Jon McLaughlin join the list alongside current squad members Zander Clark and Liam Kelly.
Recent Scotland camps have suggested Angus Gunn is the next in line for a lengthy stint in goal for the national team, but his injury condition has opened the opportunity for Clark and Kelly to stake their claim beyond backup status.
Steve Clarke favoured Clark in the trip to Georgia with the Hearts stopper making his first competitive Scotland appearance three years after his first call-up.
For all the positions previously up for grabs, it's understandable, but unfortunate, that Clark had to wait so long for a true opportunity with calls for inclusion in the Scotland squad dating well beyond he first joined the squad in 2018.
While the wait has no doubt but testing for Clark - who impressed at St Johnstone then Hearts - it didn't take any shine off his first outing in Euro 2024 qualifying for Scotland.
“I am immensely proud,” the 31-year-old said. “I was proud when I got the 45 minutes in France but to get the first competitive one means an awful lot.
“Representing your country is something you dream of as a kid and thankfully I have been able to do it.
“Hopefully I have done enough and I can try and get many more but I know it’s going to be a tough ask. But I am just delighted to eventually get to taste it and it’s something I want more of.
“On a personal level, delighted, as a collective there is obviously a bit of disappointment not to take three points from the game. But we said after it, when you can’t win the game, you just need to make sure you don’t lose it.”
The Clydebank-born keeper made a handful of stops against Georgia and had no complaints over the two conceded despite pundit scepticism over whether they could have been prevented.
“As a goalkeeper you want to make saves that can help the team get a result," he added. "I felt I had a couple of decent ones.
“Obviously you want to prevent the goals but credit to the boys, they made it stuffy for us, pegged us back twice and came back and got the draw in the end.”
Clark edged out Motherwell's Kelly for the starting spot with Robby McCrorie also pushing for an opportunity in the Scotland goal.
And the Hearts stopper is keen to retain his spot against Norway in the final qualifying match at Hampden on Sunday - but he knows it is not guaranteed.
“It was just in the pre-match meeting, the manager named the team," said Clark of finding out he would start in Tbilisi.
“The three of us have worked this week in the build-up to it, so it was going to be a tough decision, I was just thankful I managed to get the nod.
“I was obviously delighted but you just need to put it to the back of your mind and concentrate on the game, which I thought I did.
“It’s a proud moment to see your name in the starting line-up but you quickly forget about that and it’s mind on the business.”
Regardless of his own role on Sunday, Clark is expecting a raucous atmosphere at Hampden with Scotland already safely qualified for next year's finals in Germany.
He said: “It will be a great game. More positive going into it on the back of not losing. Back in front of the crowd at Hampden will be joyous, I would imagine.
“We know it will be a tough game but if we play the way the manager and coaching staff want us to play, we have a right good chance of picking up three points.”
Manager Clarke offered little on the goalkeeper situation ahead of the match against Norway with no hints over whether Clark will keep his spot in goal.
The former Kilmarnock manager reckons the trio of Clark, Kelly and McCrorie are separated by very little but refused divulge who would start at Hampden.
He said: "It was always going to be a difficult decision, I don't think there is much between the three goalkeepers.
"Zander made a couple of good, important saves for us tonight.
"I had to make a choice, and Zander done okay."
