The Scottish FA have announced that the first Scotland squad of new boss, Seb Pocognoli, will be announced on Tuesday. With the new broom picking the first squad of the post-Steve Clarke Scotland era, there’s much anticipation to see how different the squad looks, under the new era of modernity promised by the SFA’s Chief Football Officer, Craig Mulholland. Which GKs will Poco call up? With Craig Gordon’s retirement there is at least one GK place from the World Cup squad up for grabs. Below we run through the candidates for what is the first Scotland squad for the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign. Stats are as per time of article publication.
Scott Bain
| Age | 34 |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.47 |
| Full Scotland caps | 4 |
| Year of last full cap | 2026 (Neutral venue v Cote d’Ivoire) |
| Current club | Falkirk |
| Current club division | Scottish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 74.7 (37th globally) |
Bain’s current 7.47 FotMob rating suggests a GK in decent form overall. Bain benefits from his current regular first-team football, unlike many in this list. With no one particularly impressing playing in a higher rated division, Bain will fancy his chances of a Scotland squad recall.
Chris Brady
| Age | 22 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.87 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Chicago Fire |
| Current club division | American 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 78.9 (17th globally) |
As we have previously covered in detail, Brady has never expressed any interest in representing Scotland, despite sensationalist articles suggesting otherwise. He is, though, still reported as Scotland eligible. It would thus be quite sensational news in the unlikely event that Brady were to actually be called up by Pocognoli. Brady hasn’t been in the best of recent form, with FotMob ratings at 5.6 or below in 3 of his last 4 games. He was though rated 7.6 in the 1-1 home draw yesterday versus Lionel Messi & Inter Miami.
Zander Clark
| Age | 34 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.15 |
| Full Scotland caps | 4 |
| Year of last full cap | 2024 (away v Gibraltar) |
| Current club | Heart of Midlothian |
| Current club division | Scottish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 74.7 (37th globally) |
Clark is back at Hearts after his loan at Doncaster Rovers last season, & is currently Hearts 3rd choice GK after Beau Reus & Ryan Fulton. With zero first team minutes since March, Clark isn’t in line for a Scotland squad recall. Nor for that matter is Fulton anywhere near a call up, despite being Scotland eligible.
Ross Doohan
| Age | 28 |
| Current FotMob rating | Unrated |
| Full Scotland caps | 1 |
| Year of last full cap | 2025 (away v Liechtenstein) |
| Current club | Celtic |
| Current club division | Scottish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 74.7 (37th globally) |
Doohan moved up to Celtic #2 GK after the retirement of Kasper Schmeichel. Doohan didn’t though attain any competitive first team minutes ahead of Viljami Sinisalo, who stayed above Doohan in Martin O’Neill’s pecking order. Sam Johnstone’s arrival at Celtic near the end of the recent transfer window pushes Doohan back down to O’Neill’s 3rd choice. Such is Doohan’s absence of playing minutes, FotMob don’t currently give him a rating. Doohan isn’t expecting a Scotland squad recall next week.
Angus Gunn
| Age | 30 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.44 |
| Full Scotland caps | 25 |
| Year of last full cap | 2026 (Neutral venue v Brazil) |
| Current club | San Jose Earthquakes |
| Current club division | American 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 78.9 (17th globally) |
Gunn moved to the MLS in the Summer in pursuit of regular first team football. That objective has been attained. Less successful though have been his performances there with his erratic individual match ratings fluctuating between 3.9 & 7.6. In the face of strength in depth competition for GK Scotland squad places, Gunn’s place in the squad would be seriously under threat based on his current club form. However, that lack of Scotland GK strength in depth means that barring injury, it would be a big surprise if Gunn didn’t retain his squad place. Like Brady, no one in this list is playing in a higher Opta ranked division than the MLS.
Liam Kelly
| Age | 30 |
| Current FotMob rating | Unrated |
| Full Scotland caps | 3 |
| Year of last full cap | 2026 (Home v Curaçao) |
| Current club | Rangers |
| Current club division | Scottish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 74.7 (37th globally) |
Kelly barely got a game last season at Rangers understudying Jack Butland. This season so far he hasn’t had any competitive first team minutes understudying Ivor Pandur. Kelly’s lack of first team minutes didn’t harm his squad place in the Steve Clarke Scotland era. Much of that was attributed to Kelly’s seemingly universal reputation for uplifting squad morale as a natural humourist. Now though with a new broom at the helm of the Scotland squad and a greater emphasis being placed on data, is there a metric for non-playing uplift of squad morale? Unlikely. Kelly would be very fortunate to retain his Scotland squad place as data takes increasing significance. Or could Alan Irvine retaining his role as deputy bosss & Chris Woods retained as GK coach, mean Kelly’s gags & impersonations are enough to retain a squad place, given the limited GK alternatives?
Jon McCracken
| Age | 26 |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.02 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Bradford City |
| Current club division | English 3rd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 73.8 (46th globally) |
McCracken’s above 7 FotMob rating is helped by 5 clean sheets in his 8 games since transferring from Dundee to Bradford in the summer. The division he plays in is usually rated by Opta at approximately the same standard as Scotland’s top flight. McCracken is a top contender for a squad recall in what would be his first appearance in a Scotland squad since October 2024.
Robby McCrorie
| Age | 28 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.95 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | NK Varaždin |
| Current club division | Croatian 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 78.0 (21st globally) |
When McCrorie was released by Kilmarnock in May, Esbjerg didn’t sign him despite him spending last season there on-loan. McCrorie subsequently secured a move to Croat club, NK Varaždin. After 6 games they are 3rd in the table, equal top on points with Hajduk Split & Dinamo Zagreb. Zagreb, though, have a game in hand. McCrorie, however, is in the same situation as many others in this list. Namely, he is #2 to another GK for his club. McCrorie is thus without first team minutes this season. Hence, McCrorie isn’t expecting to be in Pocognoli’s first Scotland squad.
Craig MacGillivray
| Age | 33 |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.03 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | MK Dons |
| Current club division | English 3rd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 73.8 (46th globally) |
MacGillivray at the start of this season could justifiably have had hopes of a Scotland recall, given his wealth of club experience & recent promotion to England’s 3rd tier. Like though e.g., Angus Gunn, MacGillivray’s individual match ratings don’t suggest consistent form so far this season. That could cost him what would be a recall to the Scotland squad for the first time since November 2019.
Ross Sinclair
| Age | 25 |
| Current FotMob rating | 6.8 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | St Johnstone |
| Current club division | Scottish 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 74.7 (37th globally) |
Some optimists touted Sinclair’s name as a possible one to watch when he loaned to St Mirren late last season. Since then though he has been warming the bench at St Johnstone. Sinclair is not in line for a Scotland squad call up.
Cieran Slicker
| Age | 23 (24 in 4 days) |
| Current FotMob rating | 7.3 |
| Full Scotland caps | 1 |
| Year of last full cap | 2025 (home v Iceland) |
| Current club | Barnsley (on loan from Ipswich Town) |
| Current club division | English 3rd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 73.8 (46th globally) |
After his regular first team football last season on loan at Barnet in England’s 4th tier, Slicker moved up a division in the summer with a loan this time to Barnsley. However, he has no first team minutes this season due to injury. He won’t be in the Scotland squad announced on Tuesday.
