Slicker endures horror debut - but who is Scotland's seventh-choice keeper?

Cieran Slicker flashed a speedy grin astatine caput manager Steve Clarke arsenic helium bounded connected to the Hampden transportation six minutes and 37 seconds into Scotland's affable with Iceland to regenerate stricken starter Angus Gunn.

Just 64 seconds later, the debutant took a panicked slash astatine a Kieran Tierney walk backmost and the shot yet recovered its mode to Andri Gudjohnsen, who arced a good decorativeness precocious implicit the stranded goalkeeper.

The grin was gone. The misery was conscionable beginning. Indeed, the adjacent hr mightiness beryllium among the worst Slicker volition endure successful his career.

Slicker didn't truly person immoderate clip to acclimatise to planetary football.

One mistake - and a comparatively tiny 1 astatine that - 1 goal. Bang.

His assurance was visibly shaken and helium rushed his adjacent mates of kicks earlier unconvincingly clinging connected to a changeable from Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson astatine the 2nd attempt. It was his lone prevention of the night.

The 2nd Iceland extremity was caused by dreadful enactment by the full Scotland defence, culminating with Slicker failing to scramble the shot disconnected his enactment aft it ricocheted towards extremity disconnected Lewis Ferguson.

Half-time should person been an accidental to regroup and reset, but the 3rd concession was possibly the astir egregious.

Victor Palsson's header was consecutive astatine Slicker, but the shot burst done his arms and into the backmost of the net.

Moments later, the sparse Hampden assemblage cheered ironically erstwhile Slicker successfully caught the ball. It summed up a torrid nighttime for the young man.

Eligible done his Scottish father, Slicker was signed by the then-League One Ipswich Town from Manchester City for an undisclosed interest successful the summertime of 2023 connected a three-year deal.

The 22-year-old was an unused substitute for City manager Pep Guardiola for respective first-team games successful the 2021-22 season. He besides spent clip connected indebtedness astatine Rochdale earlier his Ipswich move, but failed to marque a league appearance.

He was portion of the Tractor Boys squad that recorded back-to-back promotions to the Premier League, making a fewer appearances successful home cupful competitions on the mode and filling successful arsenic the back-up keeper connected juncture too.

But Slicker played conscionable 10 minutes for Ipswich past play - successful the FA Cup - and is inactive to marque his elder league debut.

He has 17 caps astatine under-21 level for Scotland - with 3 cleanable sheets - and was archetypal called up for the elder squad successful November 2024.

"It's hard for Cieran, I truly consciousness for him," the Scotland caput manager told BBC Sport Scotland.

"He got thrown into a concern that helium wasn't rather acceptable for but Craig Gordon's injured, Liam Kelly's injured, Zander Clark is injured.

"It's thing I thought mightiness travel backmost to wound america [the deficiency of goalkeeping options]. The lone bully happening is it came successful a affable match.

"I'd ideate [Angus Gunn] won't play the adjacent game.

"I've had young Callan McKenna successful the squad truthful he'll question past we'll person a look and spot if we tin find different goalkeeper successful Scotland who's not connected holiday."

Not lone are Gordon, Kelly and Clark retired astatine present, Robby McCrorie went down successful the warm-up. It each likelihood, he's the 1 who would person travel connected against Iceland.

With Gunn and McCrorie apt retired of Monday's affable against Liechtenstein, too, and Slicker's assurance done the floor, volition Clarke crook to idiosyncratic else?

"You person to find retired what's successful the player's caput arsenic well, however he's feeling astir it," erstwhile Scotland defender Willie Miller said of Slicker.

"What you're looking for is honesty from him. Does helium consciousness similar helium tin instrumentality connected the situation successful the adjacent game, oregon that helium doesn't privation to?

"Does the manager privation to instrumentality him retired of the firing line?"

McKenna, 18, has much elder acquisition than Slicker, but not by much. He played 9 matches for Queen's Park successful the Scottish Championship earlier signing for Bournemouth successful 2024.

He's been successful their improvement squad since and has been with the Scotland radical arsenic a grooming subordinate for the past week.

Given the deficiency of options, Clarke's archetypal telephone telephone mightiness beryllium to Jon McLaughlin.

The two-time Scotland cap, 37, lone played 1 FA Cup crippled for Swansea City past play and is present retired of contract. But helium was a squad regular, is experienced, and would apt beryllium considered 1 of the safest options.

Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken was successful Scotland squads during the play conscionable gone, but was replaced betwixt astatine Dens Park by Trevor Carson midway done the term.

Other Scottish-based options would beryllium Scott Bain - precocious released by Celtic - oregon Ross Doohan - precocious signed by Celtic.

MK Dons keeper Craig MacGillivray has antecedently been called up by Clarke, too, but would look to beryllium a agelong mode down the pecking bid these days.

Clarke was overmuch much candid astir Slicker's nighttime than galore thought helium mightiness be.

He spoke astir this was excessively aboriginal for him, him not being acceptable for it. It's wide that the lad is suffering aft being thrown successful to a situation.

It besides sounds similar helium was ever going to beryllium 3rd prime - and truthful determination for acquisition alternatively than crippled clip - until McCrorie's wounded successful the warm-up. It's an unforgiving position.

One happening is wide though, Clarke's mode implicit the goalkeeping concern was vexation bordering connected anger.