‘Leader’ Berra has no regrets over Dee loan, says Gordon

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has hailed the professionalism of Hearts defender Christophe Berra following his loan spell at Dundee last season.

Berra, 35, joined the Dark Blues in January after being bombed out at Tynecastle by manager Daniel Stendel.

James McPake’s men only conceded one goal in six games featuring the veteran centreback, replaced as Jam Tarts captain by Steven Naismith.

But with his old boss Robbie Neilson leaving Dundee United to take over from Stendel last month, it looks increasingly likely that Berra – four games short of 600 league appearances since making his first-team debut in November 2003 and after spells with Hearts, Wolves and Ipswich – will remain in the capital with the Championship side.

Gordon – also back at Hearts after leaving Celtic – said: “I spoke to Christophe and he has absolutely no regrets.

“These things can happen. It happened to me in the last season at Celtic, from thinking in pre-season that I would be a big part of the team to just making a handful of appearances.

“You never can tell. That’s what can occur, regardless of who you are or what team you are at.

“Things move on and managers make decisions, other players come in and these scenarios are possible.

“Christophe knows that, and is quite philosophical about it. That’s football.

“He is just excited to be getting back training, and giving himself the best opportunity to try to play games again.

“He is a great professional, which is the reason he has been captain of this club.

“So to have him in and around the place to be a leader, you want as many of those as you can get and it’s going to make for a very successful dressing room.

“It will be up to Robbie to come in and mould the team, and get us playing the way he wants us to.

“I think everybody will be looking forward to a fresh start. It certainly feels that way in and around the city with the fans.”