The Scotland Scotland World Cup 2026 campaign is over, as is the reign of Steve Clarke. Some players have likely played their last game for the Scotland Men’s National Team (SMNT). However, which players seem like options the soon-to-be-appointed new boss could call-up? We look at potential Scotland goalkeepers for call-up.
Scotland goalkeepers in the World Cup squad
Before the main part of the article, this is a brief summary of Scotland goalkeepers who went to the World Cup.
Craig Gordon
Scotland goalkeepers remain an area lacking strength in depth. 43-year-old Craig Gordon’s possible exit from the squad potentially removes one contender. However, even that isn’t certain with reports claiming Hearts await a decision on whether or not Gordon is to retire.
Angus Gunn
Current free-agent Angus Gunn needs to find a new club & ideally play regular 1st team football. He is unlikely to be a 1st team regular if the reported interest in him from Manchester United leads to him signing a contract there. He made some good saves at the World Cup so should be able to get a deal from someone. However, San Jose Earthquakes have been reported closing in on his signing.
Liam Kelly
Ivor Pandur has joined Rangers as the new #1 with Jack Butland moving in the opposite direction to Hull City. Hence, Liam Kelly will likely remain #2 at Ibrox. If the new boss-to-be omits players who are out of the first team picture, Kelly will likely drop out of the next squad.
Additional Scotland goalkeepers to call-up?
Below are some likely & less likely possible call-ups to the squad should the incoming new boss seek to replace any of the above. Stats are as at 6 July 2026.
Scott Bain
| Age | 34 |
| Full Scotland caps | 4 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 0 |
| 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 (43rd globally) |
Scott Bain, injured from late April, was the unlucky one of the 4 GKs in contention who didn’t go to the World Cup. He though seems likely to remain #1 at Falkirk & if last season is repeated, be rare among Scotland goalkeepers who play regular 1st team football. He currently seems the strongest contender for a recall, among those who didn’t go to USA.
Chris Brady
| Age | 22 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Chicago Fire |
| Current club division | American 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 78.3 (18th globally) |
Brady is currently at the World Cup as a member of the USMNT squad. However, the one full international he has so far played for them, was a friendly (against Senegal). Thus, if he continues not to play at World Cup 2026, he will remain eligible for Scotland until further notice. However, if he plays as little as one second for the USMNT at the World Cup, he is immediately tied to them for life. The US play Belgium in the last 16.
Brady would be an unusual addition to the pool of Scotland goalkeepers, given his background. However, & despite what seems inaccurate phrasing used in the media when reporting his eligibility for Scotland, there’s no indication he has expressed any desire to represent Scotland. That is a pity since if he were to defect, he would likely go straight into the Scotland squad providing genuine competition for the #1 spot.
Zander Clark
| Age | 34 |
| Full Scotland caps | 4 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | 2024 (away v Gibraltar) |
| Current club | Heart of Midlothian |
| Current club division | Scots 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 74.7 (43rd globally) |
Clark went on a 1/2 season loan in January to Rotherham United in England’s 3rd tier. However, after initially getting game time, he ended up bench-warming.
He is unlikely to dispossess Alexander Schwolow as Hearts #1. Also, if Craig Gordon retires, Clark will likely at best be Hearts #2. Furthermore, if Gordon continues at Hearts, Clark could at best be 3rd choice at a club that also has Ryan Fulton & highly rated 21-year-old GK, Liam McFarlane.
Clark has dropped so far out of the Scotland picture, to re-ignite his international career he seems likely better finding another club.
Ross Doohan
| Age | 28 |
| Full Scotland caps | 1 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 23 |
| Year of last full cap | 2025 (away v Liechtenstein) |
| Current club | Celtic |
| Current club division | Scots 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 74.7 (43rd globally) |
No change to Doohan’s circumstance from last year. Specifically, Celtic re-signed him in 2025 to fulfil UEFA regulations as a homegrown GK they can include on the bench in UEFA organised competitions. With Celtic reported looking for a replacement for retired Kasper Schmeichel, Doohan will likely remain 3rd choice in the longer term. Viljami Sinisalo will likely remain above Doohan in the pecking order.
As long as Doohan remains at Celtic, he seems unlikely to add to his single cap.
Sam Long
| Age | 23 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Salford City |
| Current club division | English 4th tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 69.6 (78th globally) |
The ex-Falkirk GK won promotion from England’s 4th tier with Bromley last season. However, he had little first team minutes, firmly being #2 to Grant Smith.
Long has just signed for Salford, again in England’s 4th tier. It remains to be seen how much first team football he plays in the season ahead. Also, even with the current lack of strength in depth of Scots goalies, Long will need to play at a higher standard if he is to realistically challenge for the SMNT squad.
Jon McCracken
| Age | 26 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 8 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Bradford City |
| Current club division | English 3rd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 75.2 (40th globally) |
Jon McCracken transferred this Summer from Dundee to Bradford City in England’s 3rd tier. Further, Bradford boss, Graham Alexander, stated of McCracken’s signing:
“It gives us real depth of quality in that position, which is very important to us.”
McCracken is now 26 years old and has 99 first team club appearances to his credit. However, it thus remains to be seen if McCracken starts the season as their #1 or as an understudy to 34-year-old Sam Walker.
Specifically, Fotmob rated Walker at a pretty solid 6.95 for last season. Further, Walker played in all 46 of their league games in both of the last 2 seasons. Hence, McCracken may well start as deputy given how well established Walker is at Valley Parade.
Opta usually rate England’s 3rd tier at about the same level as the Scottish top flight. IF McCracken plays regular 1st team football & does well at Bradford, McCracken will likely see himself as next inline GK for an SMNT call up. That though initially at least seems a big ‘if’. Given he is among the younger of the currently more realistic potential Scotland goalkeepers, he has years ahead to work on & improve his game.
Robby McCrorie
| Age | 28 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 51 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | Without club |
| Current club division | N/A |
| Club division Opta rating | N/A |
McCrorie spent last season on loan from Kilmarnock at Esbjerg in Denmark’s 2nd tier. He has been released this Summer & needs a new club. Once an SMNT squad member, he is currently a long way out of the international picture. A new club would thus be the first step in seeking to move back up the pecking order.
Craig MacGillivray
| Age | 33 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 0 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | MK Dons |
| Current club division | English 3rd tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 75.2 (40th globally) |
Could Craig MacGillivray be a dark horse for a recall among Scotland goalkeepers? Aged 33 & with over 300 club first team appearances to date, the Perth-born GK is younger than both Scott Bain & Zander Clark.
MacGillivray last season was a 1st team regular for MK Dons winning promotion to the English 3rd tier. Previously, he earned Player of the Season honours & Scotland squad call ups when playing at that level for Portsmouth.
However, he was ‘rewarded’ for his Player of Season performances by new boss Danny Cowley promptly moving him on in the Summer of 2021. Cowley instead sought a GK he felt better with the ball at his feet. In contrast, current Mk Dons boss, Paul Warne, praised MacGillivray:
“He comes for crosses, which I love”.
Like McCracken, if MacGillivray plays first team football for his current club in the season ahead, that would be at around the same level as the Scots top flight. Excluding the improbable Chris Brady defection, only Angus Gunn currently seems likely to have any prospect in the season ahead, of regular first team football at a higher level than each of Bain, McCracken & MacGillivray.
Ross Sinclair
| Age | 25 |
| Full Scotland caps | 0 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 5 |
| Year of last full cap | N/A |
| Current club | St Johnstone |
| Current club division | Scots top tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 74.7 (43rd globally) |
The only name in this list not included in previous fitba.scot analysis. Sinclair is a 197 cm (6 foot 5 & a half inch) giant. He is among the less experienced potential Scotland goalkeepers on this list.
His career was derailed by a long term injury that he now seems to have put behind him. He put himself in the spotlight late last season as an emergency loan to cover a GK crisis at St Mirren. Fotmob rate him 6.8 in the 5 games he played in the post-split league. He also played in the play-offs with the Buddies retaining top-flight status. He is like many in this list who would benefit from regular 1st team football if he is to seriously contend for a Scotland call up.
St Mirren & Dundee Utd have been reported as interested in signing him in the current window.
Cieran Slicker
| Age | 23 |
| Full Scotland caps | 1 |
| Age group Scotland caps | 22 |
| Year of last full cap | 2025 (home v Iceland) |
| Current club | Ipswich Town |
| Current club division | English 1st tier |
| Club division Opta rating | 91.5 (1st globally) |
Cieran Slicker completed a season-long loan last season from Ipswich Town to Barnet in England’s 4th tier. Fotmob rate him 7.3 in his loan there, where he kept 15 clean sheets. Fotmob though give him a Goals Prevented rating of -0.63, suggesting that his saving was slightly below average based on their historical global baseline data.
He is currently at best 3rd in the pecking order at Ipswich Town, newly promoted to the EPL. Specifically, Christian Walton & Alex Palmer vie for the #1 spot, with 37-year-old David Button potentially signing for another year as backup. That has been reported as the plan so that Ipswich loan Slicker out again for the season ahead.
He’d do well to get a move to a higher division than that he played at last season. Further in the past he was reported as interesting Hibernian & Kilmarnock.
Which Scotland goalkeepers are likeliest to be called up?
Will Craig Gordon retire? Even if he doesn’t, will the new boss select him, aged 43 & with his recent injuries? Will the new boss omit players who aren’t playing first team football?
If indeed the boss-to-be needs/wants to call up a GK in the next squad who wasn’t among the World Cup Scotland goalkeepers, Bain is the obvious answer. Specifically, Bain has been in recent squads & seems likely to play regular first team football in the season ahead.
In terms of ability & potential, Brady could be a great call-up. However, Brady defecting could be just a pipe dream.
McCracken may be the likeliest of these in the longer term. He has, though, a challenge in displacing Sam Walker at Bradford. Hence after Bain, MacGillivray may be the likeliest of those above, should the new boss look for an Autumn call-up who didn’t go to America?
