David Marshall admits quitting Scotland was the toughest moment of his football career, writes Fraser Wilson from Hibs' training camp in Portugal. But after experiencing a sudden moment of clarity midway through June’s international camp it was also one of the easiest decisions he’s ever made.
The hero of Belgrade stunned the Tartan Army when he announced he was standing down from national service in the wake of the World Cup play-off defeat to Ukraine and just a day before the Nations League opener against Armenia. Marshall admits there were pangs of guilt at the timing and a feeling he’d let down the man who brought him back from the international wilderness.
But there was no turning back from the overwhelming moment he realised his Scotland days were done. It wasn’t quite a David Seaman-style moment which arrived for the former England goalkeeper during a Premier League clash for Manchester City.
But it was an equally strong sense of knowing as the 37-year-old brought the curtain down on his 47-cap international career. Marshall opened up on the decision for the first time as he stepped up preparations for the new season with Hibs at their Algarve training camp.
And he said: “I never took it lightly. It was the hardest thing I’d done, to speak to the manager at the time. I didn’t think I’d be involved in the summer but I managed to get fit and worked to aim for it.
“When the manager phoned me a few weeks before I was delighted to come in. But just after the Ukraine game I had a 24-hour period when it just felt the right time.
“With my wife and kids being in Scotland the last three years I’ve missed a hell of a lot. My daughter is 15 now. I felt I owed a bit back to that.
“I don’t have any regrets about it. I know some people might think why?
“But you need a balance of life so I just felt it was the right decision. It’s tough watching because it’s all you’ve known.
“But a lot of people will say you know when you need to make a big decision in life. It just felt right. The manager spoke after the Ukraine game about being all in for the next two and four years. I just felt it was the right time.
“I’ve heard the David Seaman story. I think that’s a physical reason and he didn’t know if he was up to the speed. I didn’t have that, it was nothing to do with me thinking I’d slowed down or anything like that. It was more personal reasons and family stuff.
“The hardest thing to do was speak to the manager and probably I feel I maybe let him down a wee bit in terms of the timing. But ultimately he would want people fully focused there.
“He was absolutely fine. He has been amazing for my career and what he did to bring me back in.”
Marshall is the youngest of a veteran Scottish goalkeeping triumvirate classed as the best ever by many. Craig Gordon, two years his senior, remains Scotland’s outright number one.
Allan McGregor, three years older, retired from Scotland duty three years ago. And he was one of the first to get in touch after Marshall’s decision to stand down.
He said: “Greegsy... doesn’t give you much, but he actually text me when I retired from Scotland but I keep in touch with both of them. Greegsy’s a man of few words - apart from on the pitch when he’s shouting at referees - but it was nice to get a lovely text from him, I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
The curtain may be down on his international career but the former Celtic, Cardiff, Hull, Wigan and Derby keeper admits nothing is likely to top that penalty save in Serbia for his greatest moment.
He said: “Football is about memories and moments. How important that save was .. how long it had been since Scotland had qualified for a major tournament and doing it by winning a penalty shoot out with the last penalty.
“It was an amazing moment and I’d do well to beat that because it was for the country and it meant so much to the fans. It’s definitely a personal highlight. It was during covid and you see the emotion of the fans in social media clips and tellys bouncing off the walls and all that. It’ll be tough to beat that.”
Marshall isn’t done yet though and looked in peak condition at Hibs’ training camp in the Algarve. A new challenge lies in store as he returns to the Premiership 15 years after leaving Celtic.
Third place is the ambition now. And he reckons Hibs are in good shape.
Marshall said: “You never look back. I don’t in terms of achievements anyway. From the outside looking in Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen should always try to be the third best team in the country. I think that’s a realistic aim.
“There’s a lot of work and a lot of points to make up because Hearts had an exceptional season but I think if we don’t aim to be the third best team in Scotland there’s something wrong. I’ve seen enough over the last couple of weeks to be positive about.”
READ NEXT
