The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Gordon: When doesn’t matter
Dons defeat suits Celtic goalkeeper fine
“We have put in the hard work for so long that it really doesn’t matter”
Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be just as happy to win the Scottish Premiership title courtesy of an Aberdeen slip-up on Friday as he would with a Hoops win at Tynecastle on Sunday. The Hoops are 25 points clear of Derek McInnes’ Dons with nine games left to play and will be crowned champions if Aberdeen lose against Dundee at Dens Park on Friday. Gordon insists he would be quite content if Celtic wraps up a sixth successive title without having kicked a ball. The former Hearts player said: “I don’t care. We have put in the hard work for so long that it really doesn’t matter. “Over the whole season we have gone and done everything that has been asked of us domestically so far and it doesn’t matter whether it is before the game or not.”
But Gordon conceded it would be special to win a title at the ground where he spent seven years as a player.
He said: “Growing up I have always wanted to win the league at Tynecastle.
“It will be nice to get it wrapped up as soon as possible by whatever means.
“I am sure I will take some stick from my friends but that is football.
“I just have to get on with it and go out and play the game and try to win the match.”
The Scotland goalkeeper was delighted to be among six Celtic players who started for the national team in Sunday’s 1-0 win against Slovenia that has reignited the World Cup qualifying campaign.
He added: “I thought at times the combinations worked really well, especially in the first half.
“Some of the movements and patterns of play were similar to what you would see at club level.
“The boys playing together helped the solidity of the team and the passing and the areas we were trying to get in.
“People knew what the other was going to do.
“Going back to the start of my international career, I had the two Hearts centre backs there which was a great help. We kept a lot of clean sheets.
“To have that amount of players from the one team does help.”