Over two years have passed since a disastrous night in Dundee for one of Scotland’s greatest goalkeepers.
It was Christmas Eve when an unfortunate collision at Tannadice saw Craig Gordon suffer a horrific double leg break. Whilst it was not the first time that the Hearts legend has overcome a long-term injury, Gordon is now delighted to be back helping the team and reaching his goals.
“I think it always helps to have a focus,” said Gordon when asked by PFA Scotland about his sense of resilience, “I like to have short term goals and that was a big motivation for me when overcoming that injury. It can be a long journey and you can’t dwell on too much, but short term targets have always worked for me across my career.”
Now 42 years old, Gordon is the second oldest player to ever play in Scotland and could break that record in October if he signs on for another year at the Jambos.
The records have come in thick and fast for the Edinburgh native and he is now in the top five for Scotland cap’s after reclaiming the number 1 jersey for Steve Clarke’s side earlier in the year, something Gordon highlighted was a target from the moment he learned the extent of his 2022 injury.
“I always knew I could get back in. I definitely used that as a motivation. After 20 years in football, it can often be difficult to motivate yourself the same way as earlier in your career. These little things have been in the back of my mind to aim and strive for. The caps total was something I always keen to add to.”
Gordon currently holds several accolades for both club and country. More recently he has topped the lists in a number of different competition when it comes to age and longevity, and despite these not being specific goals of his own, Hearts’ number 1 is keen to keep his targets on a week-to-week basis moving into the business end of the season.
“These sort of records to do with age keep sort of falling into my age! It’s not something you ever wish for at the start of your career, but I am just happy to keep going for as long as I can and the best I can. Maybe at the end of my career, I can count all these records and see how many I’ve got.”
With an esteemed career across three clubs, Gordon has been a long-standing member of the union and has been in the running for multiple PFA Scotland awards. With PFAS staff into visit the current Hearts squad, Gordon highlighted the importance of the union for both individuals and the collective players across the country.
“I think it’s important to be a member. You never know when you are going to need the union, and I have used the services quite a few times over the years. I have probably gone years without needing them but it’s important everyone is aware of what you guys are doing.
Whether that’s engaging at meeting, needing legal advice or stuff away from football. It’s good to know you have the union there and it’s a brilliant safety net for players.”
(All images from IMAGO)
