Scotland's Footballer of the Year is a goalkeeper. His name is Craig Gordon and his story – debut for Hearts at 19, player of the year, first time, at 23, British record £9 million transfer to Sunderland in 2007, injury in 2010, surgery in 2011, release in 2012, likely retirement in 2013, then full recovery and a contract with Celtic in 2014 – makes him a figure of fame and fascination.

Craig Gordon 2015 stands tall on the Scottish landscape. He is hard to ignore and yet unless Scotland manager Gordon Strachan is planning a dramatic rethink over later today, Scotland's goalkeeper in Dublin this evening will be David Marshall of Cardiff City.

Gordon, despite his award-winning, title-winning season with Celtic, will be once again watching on.

Marshall has been Strachan’s preferred number one for over a year, but Gordon was on his way back then. He has arrived now and his return to fitness and form must, at least, give Strachan a harder decision than he had previously.

The mood in the Scottish camp is that Strachan will continue with Marshall but there has been sufficient intrigue this week for Marshall to be taken back to the subject. To his credit, the 30 year-old Glaswegian’s responses have been generous.

“What he’s done is unbelievable,” Marshall said of Gordon.

“To be out of the game for two years is a long time. You would have thought it might take him a bit of time to get to a certain level, but Craig has fitted in perfectly. He’s picked up awards this season. I would say that if anyone could do this it would be Craig. He’s a natural goalie.”

This was the reply of a friend, of a roommate of five years on Scotland trips. Marshall sounds like a good mixer.

But he also revealed that sportsman’s competitive spirit which has taken him to 18 caps – seven of which have been won in the last year – and to England’s Premier League. Marshall added of Gordon: “But I’m no’ his da. I want to keep my place.”

Change in status

Marshall’s change in status and self-perception came last September in Dortmund, where Scotland lost 2-1 to the world champions. Marshall was in goal.

“Getting the start in Germany was a big boost,” he said. “The manager never named the team until the day of the game so I didn’t know what was happening.

“I was confident I could go and play because I’d played the last few qualifiers and friendlies, but it still felt 50-50. I was delighted when the gaffer gave me the jersey.”

It means that a decade after making his international debut, Marshall can at last use the term “my place”. He can call himself Scotland’s keeper.

It has not been possible before. Whereas Gordon’s story fits the rollercoaster cliché, Marshall has taken the low road. Often travelling with his country but not playing, he has looked on as first Gordon, then Allan McGregor strode out.

Any complaints have been internalised. “I wouldn’t say I deserve to play just for travelling,” he said.

“When I was at Celtic and not playing, then coming away with Scotland and not playing, I found that more difficult because there was nothing to look forward to.

“But I never really thought about quitting. I was always the youngest goalie – I’m two years younger than Craig and Allan – so it didn’t cross my mind.”

Nor should it have. Although he is known to refer to himself occasionally as The Invisible Man, Marshall had quietly assembled a career worth shouting about.

Berti Vogts

At international level he goes back to the last days of Berti Vogts at Hampden Park. It was Vogts who gave Marshall his 2004 debut against Hungary. Walter Smith, Alex McLeish, George Burley, Craig Levein and Strachan have passed through since.

At club level, the boyhood Celtic fan joined the team he supported and ten days before his 18th birthday made an eight-minute debut against St Johnstone. It’s daydream material.

Celtic’s manager that dream day was Martin O’Neill. Just over a year later, it got even better for Marshall when Rab Douglas was sent off a minute before half-time in a Uefa Cup tie against Barcelona in Glasgow. On went the teenager, suddenly sharing a pitch with Carles Puyol, Xavi and Ronaldinho.

Marshall kept a clean sheet and a fortnight later O’Neill selected him for the return at the Nou Camp. Another clean sheet followed. Marshall then faced Villarreal.

At the end of the season, aged 19, he had won the Scottish League title, the Scottish Cup and played in the Nou Camp. Later, he would share the Celtic dressing room with Roy Keane.

O’Neill’s comment to Marshall post-Barcelona is part of Scottish lore: “I said to him after the game that it’s downhill from here – he should just retire.”

The truth in the jest became attached to Marshall as his Celtic career came to an explosive close.

He was in goal the night of the scoreline: Artmedia Bratislava 5 Celtic 0. It was 2005 and Strachan was in charge of his first Celtic match after succeeding O’Neill.

Marshall played another six games under Strachan over the next year but in January 2007 went on loan to Norwich. He knows what it is like to be let go by Strachan.

Marshall stayed at Norwich until 2009, was a teammate of Wes Hoolahan, then left for Cardiff, where he has been ever since. In their ill-fated year in the Premier League, Marshall was Cardiff’s stand-out performer. Now, there is talk of a summer move to Liverpool.

First comes Dublin, reunions with O’Neill and Keane, a chat with Wes. Each will want him to be busy.

That is if Strachan’s team sheet confirms if “my place” is still Marshall’s phrase to use.