Exclusive:'An awful lot of work': Craig Gordon's direct Hearts comments and what he didn't think was possible

Craig Gordon is conscious of Hearts’ league position, their remaining league games and the overall situation as the Premiership season edges towards a climax. Seventh in the table isn’t sufficient for anyone connected with Tynecastle Park. Hearts reached the Scottish Cup semi-final last week but now await Ross County’s arrival in Edinburgh for vital league business.

The two clubs are separated by a point and sit just below Motherwell in sixth place heading into the weekend. Both covet a place in the top half and a European spot, which was Hearts’ pre-season target. Gordon knows what is required to get there and stressed the need for desire over the coming weeks. “Yeah, we've still got an awful lot of work to do. We've got some important games coming up that we need to try and get points in and make sure we're in that top six,” he told the Edinburgh News.

“We know it's straight back to work after the Scottish Cup. We've not had that opportunity very often this season to have a clear week leading into a game. So, yeah, it's nice to be back here at Tynecastle again, it’s always good to play here. The pitch is brilliant and it's great to play out there with the fans backing use. If we can come back again [on Saturday], then we go again and try and get the points necessary to climb the table.”

Gordon’s remarkable recovery from a double leg-break in 2022 is underlined by the fact that the 42-year-old has almost played a full season as Hearts’ first-choice goalkeeper. He is also No.1 with Scotland again, which is also remarkable given his international career looked over as recently as last June when he did not make the final European Championship squad.

Gordon’s Hearts future still a hot topic as contract runs down amid Scottish Cup semi-final and top-six battle

His determination to fight back and prove he can still play at the top level underpins a level of sporting performance most men in their 40s can only dream of. “Yeah, who knows? I didn't think that might be possible coming back,” he admitted. “You never know what lies ahead. But, yeah, I'm really enjoying being in the team and playing as many matches as I have. I'm going to try and continue that between now and the end of the season, stay as fit as possible, and manage myself through to the end of the season playing as many games as I can.”

Barring injury, he is likely to remain first choice at Tynecastle through to the end of the campaign. His Hearts contract expires this summer and supporters are eager to know if he is thinking beyond that point yet. The man himself is coy when asked about it and gives nothing away on his future, or whether he will continue playing. “No, not at all. No thoughts beyond that,” he remarked. “It's really short-term goals at this stage. We've got a lot to work on to try and get in the top six. We've got a semi-final to look forward to. So I'm not thinking about that at the moment.”