Craig Gordon signs extended Hearts contract

Hearts captain Craig Gordon has signed a new contract to remain at Tynecastle Park until 2024.

Craig Gordon has extended his Hearts contract until 2024.

On his 39th birthday, the club announced that their influential goalkeeper will be staying for the next two and a half years in a move which will delight supporters.

The Evening News revealed earlier this week that several English clubs were hoping to tempt Gordon away from Gorgie, but he has now committed his future to Hearts.

Manager Robbie Neilson told the club website: “I’m really happy that Craig has committed his future to the club.

“He’s been such an important part of the journey we started last season and the exciting thing is that we’ve only just started so to have Craig with us on it is great news.

“I’ve said it many times but he makes the sublime look easy and I now just expect him to make saves, no matter how ridiculous they are. He is a world class goalkeeper and we’re lucky to have him.”

Sporting director Joe Savage added: “It’s fantastic to have Craig commit his future to us.

“We speak a lot about bringing the right players to this club and in Craig we have, not only a world class player, but a leader. He’s respected by everyone inside and outside the dressing room and he is a fantastic role model for our younger players.

“He is the backbone of Hearts and I know the fans will be delighted he’s going to continue pulling on that famous jersey for years to come.”

Despite the interest from elsewhere, Gordon explained that his preference was always to stay at Tynecastle.

He said: “These things always tend to take a bit of time but there's no question that this is what I wanted.

“Since I returned to the club the ambition was to first of all progress from the Championship and then regularly sustain challenges at the top end of the Premiership.

“We’ve done that so far this season and want to continue that and consistently be successful in the years to come. I want to be a part of that and I’m very happy to stay and give another two years towards making Hearts as successful as we possibly can.

“I always set myself goals and I’ll be working as hard as I can to help push everyone on and set the standards required for us to be successful.

“We’re in a good position currently, five points clear in third. We must make sure we keep that gap and what we’re looking for now is to push on and get that European spot. There's a lot of hard work yet to be done.

“I feel good physically, I’ve been injury-free since returning to Hearts and been able to work hard as a result. I’ve been happy with how I’ve been playing and I need to maintain those levels.

“I almost didn’t want that break to come to be honest but I’ve played a lot of games since returning so I should take the break and then come back ready for the second half of the season.”

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