Craig Gordon retires: Hearts, Scotland and Celtic legend calls time on his 25-year playing career
World Cup was the last dance for the 43-year-old as he brings the curtain down on his career.
Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has announced his retirement after a glittering 25-year career.
The 43-year-old decided to call time on his playing days after returning from the World Cup. He may consider a career in coaching after a break from the game, but for now he is hanging up the gloves. Gordon joined the Hearts youth academy in 1999 and made his senior debut in 2002. He was transferred to Sunderland in 2007 in a £9m deal, a British record for a goalkeeper at the time, but spent two years out with a knee injury between 2012 and 2014.
He recovered to join Celtic before returning to Tynecastle Park in 2020, where he became captain. His honours include 84 Scotland caps, the 2006 Scottish Cup with Hearts, plus five Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic. He also won two Scottish Cups and five League Cups at the Glasgow club, competing the treble on two occasions. However, having grown up a Hearts fan, it seems fitting that he retires in Edinburgh after 333 appearances for his childhood club.
Why has Craig Gordon retired from football?
In an emotional address as part of a video released by Hearts, Gordon said: “Everyone has dreams. Mine were probably no different to most kids. Play for my club and my country. Heart of Midlothian and Scotland. Improbable? Perhaps. Impossible? Absolutely not. Hard work. Sacrifices. Setbacks. Step by step, dreams become reality. From supporting Hearts to playing for Hearts. Years of hard work can never fully prepare you.
“You want to do yourself proud. You want to do your family proud. You want to do the fans proud. There's nothing better than walking out here at Tynecastle, hearing Gorgie roar and celebrating a victory. I've been fortunate enough to enjoy many of them. Some brought Edinburgh bragging rights. Some brought trophies. Some brought European memories. All of them special because I got to share them with the fans.
“I'm not much of a singer, but I've improved a little after 84 renditions of the national anthem. The biggest names, at the biggest stadiums, on the biggest stages. I've savoured every moment of it. I've never wanted it to end, but end it must. I have lived my dreams and for that I am so thankful. Thankful for my teammates and coaches pushing me all the way. Thankful for my opponents for spurring me on. Thankful for the medical staff who have worked with me throughout the years.
“Thankful to my loved ones for their support and thankful to the fans for being behind me for 24 years. Now the gloves are finally off and I bid farewell to my playing career. You, the fans, have given me everything and it has been a privilege to represent you. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”