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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
Sport
Blair Meikle

Craig Halkett's brutal Scotland initiation revealed as Hearts team-mate Craig Gordon backs him to succeed

Craig Gordon revealed how Hearts team-mate Craig Halkett's introduction to life with Scotland began with a Kieran Tierney nutmeg in the daunting first training session.

The 26-year-old defender got his first call-up by Steve Clarke for the friendly against Poland at Hampden Park on Thursday night and away to either Wales or Austria next week.

Gordon, 39, who has 64 caps, was delighted to see his Gorgie buddy alongside him at the Scots' Edinburgh training base and was impressed by how the former Livingston centre-back recovered from an awkward early tussle with the Arsenal left-back.

The Jambos goalkeeper said: "It is very daunting, especially when KT rolled it though his legs after 30 seconds.

"That wasn't the introduction he was looking for but he has been excellent in training, I know he is enjoying it and I hope he gets the cap that his performances for Hearts deserve.

"I am very pleased for him. He has had a great season at Hearts, great to play alongside and is really developing as a top quality centre-back, delighted he has got a chance and he has done well in training in the first two days.

"It is definitely a step up coming up to international level and he has handled it well so far and I am sure he will continue to do that and he has done well in training to put himself in the manager's thoughts."

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