Gordon finally faces protege Carson
WHEN Trevor Carson signed for Motherwell he received a text from an old mentor promising to catch up soon.
As Craig Gordon pressed the send button he didn’t expect to wait until late November to make good on his promise — but the two goalkeepers will have their reunion on a fittingly grand stage today.
The duo were club-mates at Sunderland a decade ago, Gordon the £9million record signing from Hearts and Carson the Northern Irish rookie making his way in the game.
Both suffered setbacks at the Stadium of Light, Gordon with a two-year battle against a knee injury that almost ended his career and Carson being released and having to fight his way through the lower reaches of English football. And just as Gordon was handed a lifeline by Celtic, so Carson jumped at the opportunity provided by compatriot Stephen Robinson in Lanarkshire.
‘I’ve kept in touch with Trevor since I left Sunderland. I knew he was coming up to Motherwell, wished him all the best and said I’d see him this season,’ says Gordon.
‘This is the first time but after the next week I’ll be sick of the sight of him — because we play Motherwell three times in quick succession.’
Ironically, given the adjustments he’s had to make to his own game under Brendan Rodgers, Gordon recalls Carson being particularly adept with the ball at his feet.
Although Motherwell’s style of play calls for a more direct approach to distribution from the back, the Scotland No 1 sees the 29-year-old as a shrewd acquisition.
‘Trev was on the bench at Sunderland for half a season,’ says Gordon. ‘He’s a solid goalkeeper and I remember he was a great kicker of the ball.
‘He’s a good lad and I’ll speak to him after the game — but it would be nice to beat him first.
‘He’s always been a hard worker and that’s probably the reason he’s managed to get back to a good level after playing down the leagues in England. I knew he was a good goalkeeper and that he was always going to have a decent career.
‘To get to a major final, he’s done so well. I wish him the best for the rest of the season — just not the next three games.’
That the fixture card should throw up such an anomaly is down to both teams’ success in the League Cup.
Originally scheduled to play each other at Fir Park on the October weekend of the semi-finals, they are now set to become extremely familiar with each other.
‘I’ve seen some of Motherwell’s games and they try to play high tempo, squeeze the game and get in about teams,’ adds Gordon. ‘It’s worked well for them and I don’t think you can complain about that whatsoever.
‘They use their physicality and their speed. So, there’s no problems with that. We’ll need to deal with that and be strong ourselves to deal with their threat.’