Levein full of praise for ‘remarkable’ journey from the brink back to the top
CRAIG Levein insists Craig Gordon’s journey from being close to retiring to being on the verge of reaching the World Cup is inspiring and remarkable.
Former Hearts and Scotland manager Levein has revealed that the 38-year-old told him privately he was seriously contemplating hanging up the boots amid a tortuous two-year battle with a knee injury.
However, Gordon’s resilience has been rewarded handsomely. After collecting five topflight titles from a total of 12 domestic honours achieved at Celtic, the player is once again Scotland’s number one is arguably playing some of the best football of his career back at Hearts, where Levein handed him his debut 19 years ago.
Gordon and his Scotland team-mates will now carry the hopes of a nation on Friday as Steve Clarke’s team look to clinch a victory in Moldova that will seal a World Cup playoff spot.
“Any story for me where someone has had a major setback like he has, two years out at the age he was then, and to come back and have played the number of important games he has, and contributed, is quite remarkable,” said Levein.
“When I was speaking to him he was saying: ‘I think it’s game, set and match, I think i’m finished, basically.’
“So to come back and do what he has done is incredible, and the story runs on.
“He took a massive wage cut to come to Hearts and he’s just
a brilliant boy.
“He has this really laid back demeanour on the field and he is exactly the same way off it.
“He leads by example in everything he does. He just does everything properly.
“That’s the reason he’s played at the level he has and why he has been as successful as he has been.
“He’s a really decent human being.
“I can honestly say he never caused me a second of worry in all the time I have known him.”
In his first spell in charge of Hearts, Levein was blessed with good goalkeepers, Anti Niemi was approaching the end of his career just as Gordon was breaking through.
He added “At that young age when he first started training with the first team I had Antti Niemi and I remember watching a six-a-side game one day at training.
“The games were six minutes long and there was one where it was 0-0 and it went from the sublime to the ridiculous with the saves that he and Antti were pulling off.
“It was a privilege to have the two of them.
“We put Craig out on loan to Cowdenbeath for a year because I just felt he was too young and we brought in Tepi Moilanen.
“But when he came back he’s the only young player I have put in the team who stayed in once he got his chance to play, which is unusual.
“Normally they play 10-15 games and you have to take them out again.”
As Scotland boss between 2009 and 2012, Levein is well versed in what it is like to manage the country.
After watching the players make the summer’s Euro Championship, the first major final in 23 years, Levein insists it is imperative current incumbent Clarke builds on the momentum he has created.
“There’s something stirring, isn’t there?, asked Levein. “Listen, I’m always hopeful. It was brilliant in the summer when we had those games to look forward to.
“And one of the things that everybody had to deal with before Steve was no-one had experience of success, had had the opportunity to go to a major tournament.
“For me it’s about learning, no matter how old you are.
“And once you have been to a tournament, I am sure there are so many things Steve, his backroom staff and the players have learned they can put to good use - if they can get back quickly when we have still got the same nucleus of players.”