Hearts stalwart breaks silence on title heartbreak as Celtic Park 'injustice' leads veteran to deliver emotional fan address
Parkhead thriller between Hearts and Celtic followed weeks of controversy leading up to the final-day showdown
Craig Gordon has penned an emotional message to Hearts supporters after breaking his silence on the club’s final-day Premiership title heartbreak.
The veteran Jambos goalkeeper, who is currently on World Cup duty with Scotland, has had plenty of time to reflect on what he describes as “one of the most emotional moments” of his professional career after watching his team-mates agonisingly miss out on the silverware at Celtic Park.
Three weeks have passed since that explosive, winner-takes-all decider in Glasgow’s east end, and Gordon concedes he has found it difficult to come to terms with how their campaign ended.
Derek McInnes’ men spent 226 days at the top of the league table, only to see their trophy dreams evaporate following a 3-1 defeat to Martin O’Neill’s Hoops. A chaotic pitch invasion ensued after Callum Osmand’s clinching goal in stoppage time that effectively brought an end to the match.
In the aftermath, the Edinburgh club launched an investigation into reports of abuse aimed at certain players after hundreds of Celtic fans spilled onto the pitch in celebration. That forced the Hearts squad to make a hasty exit from the stadium without even changing out of their kit.
Gordon - an unused substitute on the day - is no stranger to the pressures of a title race, having won five winners medals during his time at Celtic. But despite playing no part in the contest, the 42-year-old admitted the manner of the loss was a bitter pill to swallow.
Gordon reflects on ‘one of the most emotional moments of my career’
Taking to social media for the first time since then, Gordon reached out to fans to hail their loyalty and togetherness, while suggesting their was a sense of “injustice” behind Celtic’s triumph.
Gordon posted: “It’s taken 3 weeks to find the words, and I still don’t really think I’ve found them. A lot has happened since then, football moves quickly. I’ve been to Hampden, Miami and now New York, and I’m very grateful I get to do that.
“But that day was one of the most emotional moments of my career. The anger, the disappointment, the injustice. But the support and togetherness too.
“The scenes outside Tynecastle – to see the connection we had with the fans. That’s what football is about. We knew that would be the last time that group was together, and we wanted it so much for each other. It wasn’t to be, but I’m so proud to be part of that team and what we achieved.”
Weeks of controversy had dominated the headlines in the lead up to the final-day showdown, with Hearts fans and boss McInnes left furious by two major VAR decisions at Fir Park in the days prior.