Steve Clarke set for serious questions as Kris Boyd predicts Liam Kelly prospect for Greece vs Scotland
Kris Boyd doesn’t expect Rangers goalkeeper Liam Kelly to start as Scotland face Greece in the World Cup qualifiers on Saturday.
Steve Clarke’s team travel to the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on 15 November, with the Scottish manager expected to start Hearts shot-stopper Vraig Gordon in between the sticks, with Angus Gunn out through injury.
Jack Butland has once again pipped Kelly in the pecking order at Ibrox, with the Englishman establishing himself as the number one after being dropped by Barry Ferguson towards the end of last season.
Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain is also a part of the Scotland squad for the November international break, but Clarke appears to have an easy decision to make against Greece.
Scotland risk emerges with start for Rangers goalkeeper Liam Kelly vs Greece
Clarke may face “serious questions” if he snubbed the experienced Gordon for Kelly against Greece, Boyd says.
Although Bain will feel he should be given the nod amid Gunn’s absence, as he plays a key role for Falkirk in the William Hill Premiership, while the other two Scottish goalkeepers struggle for game time at Tynecastle Park and Ibrox, respectively.
Kelly admitted uncertainty over his Rangers future in the summer, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him leave the Glaswegian outfit at the end of the season.
Boyd wrote in The Scottish Sun on 14 November: “Of the three, Falkirk goalie Scott Bain is the only one playing regular football. But Rangers keeper Liam Kelly has been in and around the squad for a while now, while big Craigie has all the experience in the world.”
The former Scotland international added: “It’s not an easy decision for Clarke, but I expect Gordon to get the nod in Greece. The Scotland boss is never swayed by public opinion. He is always his own man in that respect. But if he’s fully fit and ready, everyone agrees that Gordon is still the number one keeper he has in the squad.
“If Clarke picked Bain or Kelly and it went wrong, there would be serious questions over why he overlooked a keeper with 81 caps.”
Liam Kelly and six others to leave Ibrox next summer
Kelly’s current contract at Ibrox expires in the summer of 2026, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be offered a new deal and if it’ll be accepted, considering Butland’s undisputed number one status in G51.
Rangers may also lose James Tavernier and John Souttar, with two of Danny Rohl’s most important players this season set to become free agents, and while the captain is due a testimonial, the Scottish centre-back’s exit will certainly be a significant blow to them.
| Players | Transfer fee |
| Youssef Chermiti | £8million |
| Oliver Antman | £3.5m |
| Thelo Aasgaard | £3.5m |
| Bojan Miovski | £2.6m |
| Emmanuel Fernandez | £2.5m |
Rabbi Matondo, Kieran Dowell, Bailey Rice and Kieran Wright are also in the final months of their contracts at the Gers, but they’ve been surplus to requirements, and fresh terms may not be on the table for them.
With the Light Blues’ squad arguably deteriorating since last season, Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises have a massive task on their hands to rebuild the team at Ibrox.
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