ONE OF THEM HAS A METAL HIP... THE OTHER IS IRON MAN
Gordon is a warrior and legend of the Scottish game. He deserves to go out on his own terms, just like Andy Murray
“MOST people would quit and give up in my situation right now.
“But I’m not ‘most people’ and my mind works differently. I won’t quit. I’ll keep fighting and working to produce performances I know I’m capable of.”
Those are Andy Murray’s words but they could easily have come from the mouth of Craig Gordon.
Murray came out fighting last week as he slapped down suggestions it was time to hang up his racquet or risk “tarnishing” his legacy.
I know there were plenty of people who thought Gordon should have packed away his gloves after that horror double leg break he suffered at Tannadice on Christmas Eve, 2022.
At 39, surely there was no way for him to come back for such a devastating blow, they said.
But Craig is to Scottish football what Murray is to tennis, a warrior determined to bow out on his own terms.
Hopefully those terms include him becoming Scotland’s oldest ever player.
The goalkeeper now has that honour for Hearts and having signed a new one-year Gorgie deal, the big man – who turns 42 next New Year’s Eve – is hoping to recover his place for both club and country.
And you’d be mad to bet against him achieving it.
Anyone who has seen Murray’s Amazon Prime doc on his battle to recover from major hip surgery will have seen the endless hours of toil and graft the double Wimbledon champion put himself through during his long rehab as he fought to save his career.
And you can be certain that Gordon has faced a similar journey himself on the road back to first-team action.
It will have been a long, lonely trudge through endless gym sessions as he worked to rebuild his shattered leg.
There will have been days when he’ll have felt like s***e but marched on, days when he was sore all over but forced himself into the physio room for another session of misery and pain.
Like Murray, he’s not doing this for the money – he’s doing it because he loves the game and holds a drive to be the best he can be. Frankly, if I’d have found myself in the big man’s shoes, I’d have stopped playing football years ago.
I suffered a serious knee injury at 33 and couldn’t face the gruelling work to get back to my peak.
But, like Murray, Craig’s not your average man. He’s built differently.
He has saved his career once after two years out at Sunderland and now he has done it again.
To be honest, I can’t believe he’s still playing at this level – it’s just incredible.
People will have no idea the sacrifices that Craig has had to make to prolong his career – and I’m not talking about injuries here.
I mean the day-to-day stuff. He’ll be giving up on things that most folk will take for granted just to ensure he can keep playing for Hearts – and hopefully Scotland.
That goes for his family too because for Craig to keep himself in tip-top shape at 41, he can’t carry on like a normal dad or
husband. Sleep is such a vital component for the modern-day athlete so if he has to nick off to the spare room to catch a midafternoon nap, that will leave his missus Summer holding the fort with their young family.
And what if she fancies a slap-up meal every now and then? Think again.
The big man’s diet will have to be planned out to the last calorie.
He’s the wrong side of 40 and, as most men our age discover, keeping the flab off can become a losing battle.
I’m 39 now and I know how hard it is to shift the odd kilo.
I could get back to my playing weight but it would mean I’d have to live like a monk – and I just can’t face that.
But look at Craig, there’s barely a spare ounce on him and that will be all down to an incredibly strict discipline in what he consumes. His diet will be so clean you could, well, eat yer dinner off it!
It would blow most supporters’ minds the level of will power and self-control that is required to keep yourself in top shape.
Think about Christmas. When the people around you are tucking into the selection boxes or cracking open the beers and wine, you’ll be sitting there trying to convince yourself you don’t fancy a Mars bar or a can of Stella.
As an outfield player you could maybe have the odd cheat day then make sure you run an extra bit harder at training the next morning to burn it off.
But as goalkeeper that’s not really possible so Craig really will have to keep a tight rein on his intake. The fact he’s still willing to do this at his age, given everything his body has been through with the injuries, is testament to his desire to get back to the top. He has made it back into the Hearts line-up, albeit only for their Scottish Cup ties so far. The next aim is to displace Zander Clark and then ultimately get a Scotland spot as he looks to replace Davie Weir as the country’s oldest ever international. It’s still a huge task, especially if he’s to claim that title by the time Steve Clarke’s side run out for this summer’s Euros. But if we know one thing about Craig Gordon, he’s no quitter.
People have no idea the sacrifices that Craig has had to make to prolong his career