Jim Stewart admits he got emotional watching Craig Gordon announce his retirement on Thursday. For the majority of Gordon's three-decade career, Stewart was by his side as goalkeeping coach and mentor.
Gordon's early career nearly ended before it began
When Hearts were set to release a 15-year-old Gordon for being too small, Stewart helped convince the club to keep him. Within a year, Gordon shot up to 6ft 4in and went on to become a club legend.
Stewart recalled: "One of the reasons Hearts initially weren't going to sign him was because he was too small. That's tough for keepers at that age. I knew he had real potential. Myself and John Murray put our case forward and in fairness to the club, they listened."
The comeback from a 'bad place'
After being cut adrift by Sunderland and facing a career-ending knee injury at age 30, Gordon spent 27 months rehabbing. Stewart invited him to Rangers to recover, building an unbreakable bond.
"He was in a bad place at that time," Stewart said. "Sunderland had given the ghost up with him. We worked away with him. Stevie Walker was doing the functional stuff and the other side of it was reassurance. To be fair, Craig was religious in terms of how he went about his rehab."
Gordon returned to world-class form, eventually playing for Celtic and Hearts again, and making a stunning save against Dundee in January 2026.
A place among Scotland's greatest
Stewart, who coached Jim Leighton, Andy Goram, Allan McGregor, and David Marshall, believes Gordon belongs in their company.
"People ask who's the best and then you think about the eras. David Harvey was outstanding. Jim and Andy were top. Then Craig comes along with Allan and David... we've been blessed," Stewart said.
"Of course Craig deserves his place among them all. His composure under pressure, that air of confidence, he always looked unflappable."
Gordon's legacy
Gordon made his debut for Hearts at 19 in 2002 and went on to make over 700 career appearances. He won the Scottish Cup in 2006 and was a key figure for Scotland.
Stewart added: "What a career. What a man. What a goalkeeper. If you could bottle what Craig's got, it would be fantastic. One of the biggest things about him is his resilience, coming back from setbacks."
Gordon's best save? Stewart struggled to choose: "Even picking a catalogue of saves would be difficult. But when he came back last year and made that save at Dundee, which was totally outstanding."
