Antti Niemi gives his thoughts on Hearts goalkeeping and the current malaise in Gorgie

SNS Group

Antti Niemi believes Hearts have a welcome goalkeeping problem trying to keep both Craig Gordon and Zander Clark happy this season. The former Tynecastle No.1 is watching the situation from afar and believes both men possess the quality to hold the position.

Clark started the first two matches of the season against Rangers and Dundee, but since then Gordon has managed eight appearances in a row. Niemi, now assistant coach at Greek club Volos as well as being Finland’s international goalkeeping coach, gave this thoughts on the matter. He spoke to the Edinburgh News courtesy of Freebets.com.

“I think Hearts are very lucky to have two goalkeepers of that calibre, so it's not the worst problem to have in the world,” said Niemi. “It's up to the goalkeeping coach and the manager to decide who plays, but Craig Gordon isn't a young boy anymore yet he's still doing the job at the highest level.

“Normally, you have a No.1 and then maybe a more experienced No.2, or even a promising talent coming through the ranks. But they are both No.1s. I couldn't comment exactly on what separates them in detail, but what I would say is that playing either of them wouldn't be an issue. Hearts are very lucky to have two top, top goalkeepers.

“I used to think years ago that it's better for everyone to have your clear No.1 and stick with him, unless he gets injured, or form dictates you give your No.2 a shot. I certainly thought this when I was a player years ago. But to be fair, it depends so much on the club and what sort of goalkeeper you have. It depends on so many things, like: What is the standard of the second-choice keeper? Will this player perform better against a certain level of opposition who play a certain way, etc?

“Sometimes it is better to have a clear No.1, sometimes if you have goalkeepers who are equally good, it might be best to switch things up quite regularly. At least it keeps both of them on their toes and hopefully pushes them. It's a difficult question to answer.”

Niemi shares the concern of Hearts fans seeing the club sit bottom of the Premiership. He understands the frustration of all concerned. “Yes, but I'd like to say that as an assistant coach whose watching head coaches work, I can tell you that I'm sure the people at Hearts are working tirelessly to turn things around,” he stated. “It's not easy. It's not an easy job, I can guarantee you that.

“So, there might be a million reasons why Hearts have started the season poorly - I don't know what's going on behind the scenes - but obviously the league table doesn't lie, and results are the most important thing. At the moment, the people at Hearts, the coaching staff, the players are doing all they can to get points very soon. It's a difficult situation, let's put it that way.”

Niemi spent nearly three years in Edinburgh after a £350,000 transfer from Rangers in December 1999. He was sold to Southampton in a £2m deal in 2022 after his stellar performances made him a popular figure among the Tynecastle support. “I had very good times in Scotland, my daughter was born in Glasgow in 1999,” he revealed. “I've always said if I have to leave Finland and live in another country, it would be Scotland. I love the Scottish people, the sense of humour, the football is great, I just love it. So very warm memories overall.

“Looking back, I was at Hearts for two and half years and there were very few occasions I came off the pitch thinking: 'I should have done better.' I don't know what it was, but the team spirit and the players in the team were so special. [Steve] Fulton, Colin Cameron, so many of the guys were great. I can't explain it, but we had a really great dressing room.

“I felt that, after being at Rangers for two and a half years, mostly as second-choice or third-choice, I suddenly became a very important player for the team. I was one of those players who wasn't carrying the team but a senior player who was expected to do well and to save points. I really enjoyed that responsibility.

“I remember a lot of games where I felt I really contributed to a result - gaining a point or three for the team - and that I did my part and I could be happy with myself. It was a close to a perfect period of my footballing career looking back. I loved my time at Hearts.”

His coaching career is now busy and varied between club and international duties. “Greece is a great place, people love football and if you look at the league table, the giants are all in there [AEK Athens, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos],” he stated. “I've been here around three months now. It’s still pretty new, still learning, understanding things better every day but it's a new role which I'm relishing. I've always been a goalkeeping coach, so this is something different, doing the assistant coach’s job. It's great to be here. A lot of work to do but I'm learning and loving it.”

He is also aware of the situation at former club Rangers as they try to keep pace with Celtic at the top of the Premiership. “I don't think the situation has changed in 20 years that Celtic and Rangers have been the clubs fighting for the title and fighting against each other,” said Niemi. “Two massive clubs, but Celtic have done a fantastic job over the past few years and ultimately you have to earn your spot.

“Celtic looks at the moment like the strongest club in Scotland, so the only thing you can say is that Rangers need to keep working hard to turn things around. Right now, the Rangers fans are not happy, we can all agree on that. Second place in the Scottish Premiership for both Celtic and Rangers fans is not good enough, but unfortunately only one club can be the champion.

“I'm not involved behind the scenes but, looking from the outside in, Philippe Clement is an experienced manager. He's been in football for a long time, his CV is impressive, and I think he's done such a good job over his career. He's dedicated his life to be a manager. You have to take your hat off to him and say: 'Listen, you've done a fantastic job, you're a good coach and a good manager.' I wish him all the best and hopefully he can challenge Celtic in the near future.”