For the past 16 years, one of three totemic figures has stood between Scotland’s goalposts.

There have been fleeting opportunities for Neil Alexander, Matt Gilks, Jordan Archer, Cammy Bell and Jon McLaughlin, but none has displaced the go-to goalkeepers for any length of time.

Now, though, change is afoot. McGregor and Marshall are retired from international football, albeit they continue to play leading club roles in the Scottish Premiership.

Gordon still thrives at the highest level three months after his 40th birthday, but the Hearts talisman is recovering from a double leg-break and is unavailable for the forthcoming qualifiers.

So Steve Clarke begins a hotly-anticipated campaign to reach Euro 2024 in search of new blood between the sticks.

But, with Cyprus and Spain lying in wait this week, to whom should the Scotland head coach turn?

Who are the contenders?

Clarke has chosen three uncapped goalkeepers, two from the Premiership and one surprise addition from south of the border.

That none of them are young bucks underlines again just how firm the Gordon-Marshall-McGregor grip on the starting berth has been.

Liam Kelly has impressed in a Motherwell team frequently under the pump domestically before the arrival of new manager Stuart Kettlewell brought about an upturn in fortunes. The 27-year-old has made squads before, but never broken the stranglehold on a starting berth.

Zander Clark, 30, is deputising ably for Gordon at Hearts. Another with plenty top-flight experience, he won a Scottish and Scottish League Cup double with St Johnstone in 2021 and has produced a string of eye-catching displays since Gordon’s injury.

The most intriguing selection is that of Angus Gunn, son of former Scotland goalkeeper Bryan, plying his trade in the English Championship with Norwich City.

Born in England, Gunn represented the country of his birth at various age-grade levels, turning out against Scotland in an Under-21s fixture in 2017. He once commanded a £10m fee from Premier League Southampton.

Aged 27, he has decided to switch allegiances after a discussion with Clarke, and aims to follow in the footsteps of his father.

What do the stats tell us?

We can make the best direct comparison between Clark and Kelly, since they are operating in the same division.

Kelly has played more than double the Premiership matches Clark has, in a team toiling for form, while the latter’s Hearts sit third despite a recent dip in form.

Clark has kept a greater percentage of clean sheets and his minutes per goal conceded is better – 59 to Kelly’s 73.

The Hearts man has a slightly superior save percentage and passing accuracy with both short and long balls.

Gunn’s numbers stack up favourably to his Scotland rivals’, playing for the seventh-placed team in the English second tier.

His average of 86 minutes per goal conceded is better than Clark or Kelly’s, he has the highest save percentage at 75% and the best passing accuracy of the three.

And that theme continues in the Championship, where Gunn’s save percentage is better than any of his domestic counterparts’.

‘It’s going to be good fight between them’ – analysis

Former Scotland full-back Alan Hutton on the Scottish Football Podcast:

It was always something I worried about, when you think of the goalkeeping situation and Craig Gordon was always playing, that there was zero caps after that. If something did happen, where were they going to turn to?

If I’m Kelly or Clark, I’m thinking it’s a fight between us two, and then somebody’s coming in to the picture and it would be hard for me to take. It’s going to be a good fight.

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell on Sportsound:

I’d see it as a challenge being one of the other two to try to prove in the camp you are the better goalkeeper. I’d go for Liam Kelly, unsurprisingly.

Clyde manager Jim Duffy on Sportsound:

Zander Clark seems to have taken on the responsibility of being the number one at Hearts now that Craig Gordon is injured. There is always going to be competition at international level. I’d go for Zander Clark.