Craig is aiming to keep McGREGOR ON THE SIDELINES

Goalkeeper Gordon is looking after number one

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Craig Gordon is relishing the rivalry with Rangers’ Allan McGregor but the Sunderland goalkeeper insists he will not be moved from his Scotland number one spot.

Sunderland’s former Hearts player Gordon, 25, accepts McGregor, who saved a penalty after coming on as a second-half substitute in the goalless friendly against Northern Ireland at Hampden last month, is pushing him all the way for a starting spot in George Burley’s side.

But as he prepared for the World Cup qualifying double-header against Macedonia and Iceland, Gordon insisted he is not ready to give up the gloves and believes chopping and changing would be counter-productive.

“Both of us will say we want to play,” said Gordon. “There is only one position there for us and it’s up to us to fight for the place.

“I think I’ve done well in recent games and in recent campaigns and it’s up to me to continue and make sure I keep my place.

“You have to get an understanding with your back four and know what each other is going to do. If you keep chopping and changing, you are not going to get the same understanding as you would with a constant selection.”

Gordon – who came into the Scotland team when his then Hearts team-mates Steven Pressley and Andy Webster played together at centre back – looked forward to taking his place behind Celtic duo Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell when the Scots begin their qualification campaign in Skopje tomorrow.

He said: “They have an understanding at club level, they know exactly what each other is going to do.

“When I first started my career at international level, I had Hearts players there and the three of us were at the same club. It’s good to have that understanding.”

The latest Fifa world rankings have Scotland remaining in 16th place, while Macedonia are in 56th spot, but Gordon stressed the visitors will begin their campaign with a tricky fixture.

He said: “It is going to be difficult because they are a good side. But we’ve got to have confidence in our own ability and we are going there to win the game.

“We did well in the last campaign and that is a confidence booster.”

Gordon regularly faces some of the world’s best attackers in the English Premier League but he insists Macedonia’s Lazio forward Goran Pandev will be no less of a threat than the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres.

He said: “Pandev is a good player but I wouldn’t say he is better or worse than I’ve played against before. Italian football is still a very good. Their best clubs get to the latter stages of the Champions League every season.

“We watched him on video in the last couple of games and he looks very strong and is probably their main threat.”