Scotland: Craig Gordon in squad for friendlies against Netherlands and Northern Ireland

Craig Gordon has been recalled to the Scotland squad for this month’s friendly matches against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

Gordon won the last of his 74 Scotland caps in November 2022 and his Hearts team-mate, Zander Clark, has remained first choice for Premiership games.

Clark, 31, is also included but Celtic’s Callum McGregor, 30, is out.

The Celtic captain and midfielder has missed his club’s past two games with an Achilles problem but his club-mates, full-backs Anthony Ralston and Greg Taylor, make Steve Clarke’s 25-man selection.

The Dutch host Clarke’s Scots in Amsterdam on 22 March before Northern Ireland visit Hampden four days later, with both games kicking off at 19:45 GMT.

Gordon kept his first clean sheet of the season as Hearts beat hosts Greenock Morton 1-0 in Monday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final.

Clark started the 3-3 draw that concluded Scotland’s successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, with Clarke’s team opening the finals against hosts Germany on 14 June before further group games with Switzerland and Hungary.

Norwich City’s Angus Gunn and Motherwell’s Liam Kelly make up the quartet of keepers in the pool.

Millwall’s Kevin Nisbet, who scored the last time Scotland played the Dutch in a 2-2 draw, is not in the squad, having not played since January. Luton’s Jacob Brown, who has been a regular in Clarke’s recent selections, also does not feature. Brown’s last game came in early February.

Clarke names three forwards altogether – Southampton’s Che Adams, Queens Park Rangers’ Lyndon Dykes and Hearts’ Scottish Premiership top scorer Lawrence Shankland.

Prior to the finals, Scotland will complete their warm-up games against Gibraltar and Finland in early June.

Scotland squad

Goalkeepers: Zander Clark, Craig Gordon (both Hearts), Angus Gunn (Norwich), Liam Kelly (Motherwell)

Defenders: Liam Cooper (Leeds), Grant Hanley (Norwich), Jack Hendry (Al-Ettifaq), Scott McKenna (Copenhagen), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Ryan Porteous (Watford), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Greg Taylor (Celtic), Kieran Tierney (Real Sociedad)

Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Billy Gilmour (Brighton), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Manchester United)

Forwards: Che Adams (Southampton), Lyndon Dykes (QPR), Lawrence Shankalnd (Hearts)