Cammy Devlin reveals message he sent to Craig Gordon and makes Hearts squad pledge

Cammy Devlin has looked up to Craig Gordon as something of a mentor since arriving in Edinburgh from Australia a year and a half ago. So it comes as no surprise to hear from the midfielder that he sent a personal message to his captain after last weekend’s horrific double leg break.

As part of their preparations for Monday’s derby at Tynecastle Park, Devlin and his Hearts teammates met the goalkeeper on New Year’s Day for the first time since he was stretchered off at Tannadice breathing through an oxygen mask. It was an opportunity for the players to show their collective support and respect for the 40-year-old. It was an opportunity for Gordon to show his appreciation too. Expressions of best wishes for 2023 were heartfelt all round.

“100 per cent it was great for us,” says Devlin. “It was devastating what happened to Craig. To see Craig Gordon go down like that … he’s Scotland’s number one, he was our player of the year last season, he is an inspiration to the younger boys, to everyone. To lose him in that fashion was really sad. We are all gutted for him.

“I texted him and told him the team is going to get together and the things we do are for you. It gives us added motivation to go on because having Craig Gordon on the pitch behind you is a good feeling, to be honest. Just having his big frame in goal. So it was great to have him in and about the boys before the derby.”

Cammy Devlin relishes the Edinburgh derby and says Hearts would dedicate a victory to injured captain Craig Gordon. Picture: Mark Scates / SNS

The injury was a horrific and traumatic experience for the goalkeeper, of course, but it was difficult for his teammates to deal with too. They had to quickly refocus on the job in hand on the pitch and did that well by scoring a late equaliser at Tannadice. They followed it up with victory at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday, breaking a run of 16 league games away to St Johnstone without a win.

But those games are now in the past, last year in fact. Devlin and his teammates know only too well the significance of facing Hibs at Tynecastle Park in the New year’s derby. There is, Devlin says, “added motivation”. If Hearts win they will be dedicating the result to their captain.

“Yes, absolutely,” confirms Devlin. “For Craig, having Christmas away from his family is just gutting. There is nobody that would not agree with me there. As far as I know he was in hospital on Christmas Day and that is just devastating. But I know he is back home now and hopefully he can celebrate Christmas with his family and his kids.

“To win the derby for him would be super special. I think he would also be proud of us beating St Johnstone on Wednesday night. It can be easy to drop points in these games when the pressure is on, but we showed how tight we are as a group.”

Cammy Devlin was in close attendance before Craig Gordon was stretchered off at Tannadice. Picture: by Mark Scates / SNS

Zander Clark, of course, is the man who had to step in against his former club in Perth with his first competitive start since May and his first in a Hearts shirt. The 30-year-old goalkeeper, who signed a three-year contract in September, has already earned the trust of his teammates.

“Yeah, absolutely,” says Devlin. “Zander is a senior player. He came on at Dundee United and did really well and it was the same at St Johnstone. Not that he was at fault for either goal, we want to cut out losing goals. We want to be able to close out games a lot easier, but that’s not Zander’s fault. He was excellent against St Johnstone the other night. He fitted in seamlessly. It’s great for him to get a chance and he’s done really well.

“It shows we have good depth in this squad and it’s been used this season with the injuries we have had. The boys that came in against St Johnstone and in the previous match against Dundee United showed why they are at Hearts and why there is so much competition for places.”

Devlin is one player who seems to have cemented his place in central midfield following the World Cup break, forming a partnership with Robert Snodgrass that is working effectively. The derby is a game that suits his combative, buzzbomb style and a fixture he relishes. “I’ve drawn a couple but I’ve not lost a derby and I want to keep it that way,” he explains. “In Australia you play the derbies, but it’s not the same feeling playing in a proper football stadium with fans.

CammybDevlin has every faith in Zander Clark as a replacement for Craig Gordon. Picture: Mark Scates / SNS

“Especially at home, we want to give our fans something to cheer about going into the New Year and I can’t wait. I relish these games, I absolutely love them, the atmosphere around them and everything that goes with it. A derby has just that little bit more.

“I think these are the games the fans want to win. It’s the Edinburgh derby and it’s one of the biggest games of our calendar year. You never know with these games. To be going into it in third place is great but when it comes to a derby it’s 11 v 11 and anything can happen. That’s been shown over the years, but I’m very confident that if we play our stuff and stick to what we know we can do we can go into the game very confident.”