Craig Gordon has dismissed suggestions that his decision to take a pay cut to leave Celtic for Hearts in 2020 was a sign of disrespect towards his former club. The veteran goalkeeper, now 43, made the switch after falling out of favour under then-Celtic manager Neil Lennon, but insists the move was purely about playing time.
Speaking at the time of his return to Tynecastle, Gordon said: 'Things just petered out over the last few weeks. The one thing I always wanted to do was get back playing football. The money side was always going to be secondary. It was about doing what was right for me.' He emphasised his boyhood support for Hearts and said he 'loved playing' for the club earlier in his career.
Gordon faced stiff competition for the Celtic No. 1 spot from Fraser Forster, Vasilis Barkas and later Joe Hart. Celtic informed him he could only stay if he accepted a wage reduction, which he was willing to take anyway to secure regular football. He added: 'Everybody seems to worry about playing against former teams. I tried everything I possibly could when I was at Celtic to beat Hearts in those games and I would do exactly the same against Celtic now.'
Now a dependable substitute for Hearts, Gordon is preparing for a crucial title-deciding clash against Celtic on Saturday. Hearts lead the Scottish Premiership by a single point, with a draw enough to seal their first top-flight title since 1960. Gordon has already won silverware with Hearts, including the Scottish Championship in 2021 and the Scottish Cup in 2006, and is ready to put past loyalties aside to help his team make history.
