Craig Gordon sets out Hearts objective as Tynecastle quest comes side by side with burning summer ambition

The Hearts goalkeeper has domestic and international ambitions.

Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon is currently with the Scotland squad

Craig Gordon hopes to see Hearts progression in the Scottish Cup - and then take a seat on the Scotland national team plane to Germany.

The 41-year-old goalkeeper has battled back from a serious leg injury in 2022 to put himself in Steve Clarke's thoughts for Euro 2024. He is with the team for friendlies against Netherlands and Northern Ireland this week alongside Norwich City's Angus Gunn, Motherwell captain Liam Kelly and fellow Jambos stopper Zander Clark.

With Rangers' Robby McCrorie in Euros contention too, Clarke has admitted only three will go. Gordon has been playing as back-up to Clark since his return from injury with minutes coming in the Scottish Cup, although the Scotland head coach wouldn't rule him out of the reckoning if he doesn't play a Premiership minute between now and May.

In the meantime, Gordon has loved being back with the Scotland group, and has his eyes on Hampden achievement beyond the national team. Hearts face Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final in April and the goalkeeper wants Steven Naismith's men to take the next step, having got to the last four stage and lost to the Light Blues on Viaplay Cup business.

He told the Scotland National Team social media account: "It's been good to get back playing the cup games. It's been a nice challenge to get back out there and we have progressed to the semi-finals which is great for the club to get back to Hampden. Hopefully I can keep playing in that competition and we can go one step further.

"We all want to be part of it and we all want to travel to Germany. As goalkeepers or anybody else in the squad, we are all desperate to be on that plane, be part of it and to go there and try to be successful. It's nice to be back.

"The majority of the squad is exactly the same, there's not a lot changed, played with all these guys at different times before. The training facilities and team hotel has changed so I am trying to get my bearings around those but apart from that everything else is the same.

"It's a brilliant squad to be part of. It was always something I was striving to get back for, so it's great to be back here and I stay here for a while yet."