I’M A FIGHTER JUST LIKE FLETCHER

GAMBLE PAID OFF AND TARGETS LONG CAREER Player of the Year Gordon delighted both he and Scotland pal Fletcher are back in big time

admits it is the stuff of fairytales. Gordon said: “For me to get back into a team and playing well enough to win trophies and awards is something I thought had probably passed me by.

“My first thing was just to get back playing football again. I never thought it would lead here.

“It’s been an incredible journey. Not one I would like to do again as I’d like to stay where I am now but it’s been great to get back to this level. It was special enough the first time coming through the youth ranks and working hard to become a professional.

“To go away, play one game in three years, then come back from that and do it all over again makes it more special for me.”

The knee injury that almost cost him his career is gone but his body still needs managing and he is in the gym every day before training. After what he’s gone through it’s a price worth paying.

He added: “The physios know what I need to do and so do I. But my knee has been no problem this season. Maybe there was one match where it was a little bit sore but apart from that it’s not been a big concern.

“I want to play for as long as I can. I’ve seen what it looks like not playing and although it was nice spending time at home with my two young girls you’re a long time retired and I got a little glimpse of that during my time out. I know how lucky I am.

“I’d like to try to keep playing until I’m 40, if my body holds up to it. Brad Friedel has just announced his retirement aged 43 so that gives me another 10 and a half years! I could have a while yet.

“I don’t see me moving on from Celtic, certainly not at the moment. I’m very happy here and the manager has been great with me. We’ve got a really good relationship and I work well with Stevie Woods too. I’m looking forward to next season and giving the Champions League a go.”

Joining the Hoops was a gamble he admitted. And he candidly confesses to hoping Fraser Forster – Celtic’s keeper at the time – would get his big-money move to England in order to free up a place for him in Ronny Deila’s first team.

He said: “I didn’t know if it was the right decision to come in at this level and fight for a first-team spot, or should I have dropped down a level or two, get first-team games and try to work my way back that way.

“There were a lot of doubts whether I had done the right thing coming here.

“I could have been sitting here at the end of the season having not played a game and not achieved anything.

“Then I would have been kicking myself for not going and getting games under my belt somewhere elsewhere.

“I was ambitious enough though and wanted to go in as high as I could. I wanted to prove I could still play at this level and thankfully I’ve been able to do that.

“In my mindset Fraser leaving was the way I wanted it to happen and that’s the way it ended up. That was the best-case scenario for me and it happened.

“If Fraser had stayed here maybe I would have just played in the cup matches or before or after a European game if they were resting players. I really didn’t know. “I didn’t know the manager coming in, his philosophy or his thinking. So it was a step into the unknown.

“I just wanted to back myself as I had done that throughout my rehab to get back.

“I was confident I could get back to those levels but I didn’t have an awful lot to back that up so I had to go out there and prove it. Thankfu l ly I managed to do that.”

Two winners’ medals, caps for Scotland and now the country’s Player of the Year.

It’s fair to say Gordon has proved himself all over again – and then some.

DAVID McCARTHY

CRAIG GORDON