PATIENCE is a virtue Liam Kelly knows all too well. As does, in fairness, every goalkeeper in Scotland not named Craig, David or Allan.
For nearly two decades, the trio (made up of Gordon, Marshall and McGregor) has had a pair of size-nine Sells wrapped firmly around the national team position - but that can’t last forever.
Steve Clarke, the national team boss, just last week spoke of the potential need to cast his net further afield for a permanent successor to his current number one, such is the lack of any real competition playing football consistently at a high level.
Kelly is one of the few exceptions to that rule and the upcoming friendly against Turkey should - finally - provide the platform for the Motherwell captain to make his case for taking over the mantle when the soon-to-be 40-year-old Gordon hangs up the gloves. Not that Clarke has made the former Rangers man any promises.
“That’s just how it is,” Kelly, 26, said. “You go away and train and the manager picks the team he wants. If you’re in it, great. If not, then you need to work even harder to get in it. You can only do that by playing well for your club.
"It would be nice to get that last one. It’s the hardest one that every single person in the country wants, not just every single football player.
“It’s a great position to be in and I am very grateful for being selected. I’ll do my best to push the goalies who are there.”
In recent seasons, Kelly has become a frequent feature in the Scotland squad and on the matchday bench. But he’s still to earn his first full cap, despite playing for the national team at just about every age group growing up.
No trip has been wasted, however, and the chance to work alongside Gordon and the country’s best goalkeepers has brought his game on no end.
“You try and take stuff away,” Kelly, who has also played for Livingston and Queens Park Rangers, said. “You try and steal parts of Craig's game, steal parts of Robby’s [McCrorie] game.
“You look at the way the boys train who play at such a high level in the Premier League. I love going away and I am looking forward to it.
“I know the manager, no matter the game, will try to be winning the game. I don’t focus on anything I can’t control and the manager will make the decision.
“I’ll just train as best I can.”
While Kelly will hope to finally step onto the pitch in his country’s colours, St Johnstone’s David Wotherspoon will be aiming to do so for the eleventh time in a much more glamorous setting.
The winger, who spent a year out injured, was yesterday named in Canada’s squad for the Qatar World Cup, and could become just the second Saints player after Jason Scotland (for Trinidad and Tobago in 2006) to appear at football’s premier competition.
It’s testament to Wotherspoon’s hard work since that devastating setback that he’s done enough to convince John Herdman that he could hold the key to unlocking Belgium, Croatia and Morocco defences when the Canadians appear in just their second World Cup.
“He’s done an unbelievable journey to come back from his injury,” said his St Johnstone teammate, Melker Hallberg. “We will, of course, the whole team wants to watch his first game and it would be great for him.”
Of Wotherspoon’s contribution to his side’s goal in their 1-1 draw with Motherwell on Saturday, the Swede added: “It was a classic Spoony Chop, wasn’t it for the goal? Hopefully we see that at the World Cup!
“I hope everyone is watching it for his sake.”
