GORDON STRACHAN has revealed that he has spoken with stricken Hearts stopper Craig Gordon since he suffered his horrific double leg break on Christmas Eve.
The 39-year-old former Celtic stopper left fans around the country gutted after he came out worse in a 50/50 challenge in trying to claim the ball from Dundee United forward Steven Fletcher, where it was later revealed he’d suffered the horror break.
And former Celtic and Scotland boss Gordon Strachan reckons that the Hearts goalkeeper has proven time and again that he CAN bounce back from the injury.
Gordon faces a lengthy journey back – but Strachan is adamant that the stopper’s performances over the last 18 months, as well as the way he’s dealt with adversity in the past, will be what keeps him hungry to come back and play well into his 40s.
Speaking in the Daily Record, the ex-Hoops gaffer backed him to make an emotional return.
He said: “I texted Craig this morning and while I leave that between the two of us, what I would say is, when you look at his career, it’s been full of character building moments and he’s dealt with them all brilliantly.
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“That’s why he’s played on towards 40 because he’s dealt with those problems and his character has helped him to overcome them. He knows how tough these times can be and what is required for him to come back from them.
“He also knows how great a game it is. That’s why he keeps himself in such great shape – to keep playing.
So I see no problem with him dealing with this injury and recovering from it. He will do that. It’s then just a matter of how long he wants to go on and that’s up to him to decide.
“But if you look at him over the last year and a half you think, ‘Is this as good as he’s ever been?’. So, in that case, why would he even think about packing it in?
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“You only pack in playing football when you’re no longer an influence. That’s when you go, ‘Oops! It’s time for me to call it a day’.
“But if you ask every Hearts supporter or every player, who has been your most influential or significant player over the last couple of years, they’ll all say the same. It’s him.
“So, you can’t just go from being the best keeper in Scotland one day, to never playing again the next just because of a broken leg.”
Elsewhere Hearts No2, Zander Clark has expressed his disappointment for his Tynecastle teammate as he prepares for his bittersweet period in nets.
Despite being Gordon’s understudy since his Hearts arrival in the summer, Clark insists he’s ready for the chance as he prepares himself to be the man between the sticks for the foreseeable future.
He added: “First and foremost, I am gutted for Craigy.
“He’s been brilliant for us, just as he was up at Tannadice.
“On a personal note I was delighted to come in, but it’s bittersweet in the circumstances.
“When you’re a goalkeeper and an opportunity opens up and you get a chance you need to make sure you go in and do well.
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“I could stand here all day and tell you how good the big man is, but I don’t need to, everybody knows it. It’s a tough task.
“I just need to make sure I am ready to go.”
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