Gordon Strachan believes David Marshall has developed an aura of invincibility about him.
The Scotland coach had the Cardiff keeper at Celtic from 2005-07 and put him on the road to a career in England when he sent him on loan to Norwich City.
He argues that switch has proved instrumental in his development both as a player and as a man and Marshall will replace the injured Allan McGregor when Scotland face the USA on Friday.
“David was a very quiet individual,” he said. “He had everything but did seem to lack a personality once he walked on to the pitch.
“But now he has definitely found one. He’s still a quiet fella, right enough, but then personality comes in different ways.
“He’s a Premier League goalkeeper now and deserves that status.
“He could easily have hung on at Parkhead, done the usual thing where players hang on for five or six years and their career ends up going backwards.
“Too many Celtic players didn’t want to go out on loan but David wanted to play.
“Like most people who are successful, he has had to take a few hits along the way. And he’s done that.
“But what David has now is almost like an aura. It’s indefinable and it’s nothing to do with how noisy you are.
“The Cardiff players will stand in the tunnel now, look at him and think: ‘I’m glad he’s with us.’
“I’ve seen a lot of players who jump about and scream in the dressing-room and then, when they get on the pitch, you never see or hear them.
“David has developed his character over the years. It isn’t a demonstrative one but it says: ‘I’m all right, I can deal with this’.
“I’m glad he went out on his own and he’ll be glad now, too.”
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