'He's in incredible shape' - Hearts star praised by rival for World Cup starting jersey
Hearts legend could make history at World Cup this summer
Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon has been praised by his rival for a World Cup starting jersey.
Gordon will be the oldest player in the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer with the Scotland veteran set to be 43 years and 162 days old at the start of the tournament, eclipsing the oldest outfield player, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is 41.
Should Gordon feature at any point he will make history as the oldest Scotland player to play at a World Cup ahead of current record holder Jim Leighton, who was 39 years and 334 days old when he started against Morocco at France 98.
Gordon would need to stick around until 2030 to beat Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who holds the record for the oldest player to ever appear in a World Cup match, at the age of 45 years and 161 days, but the Tynecastle legend is expected to retire at the end of the tournament.
Gordon is vying for the Scotland starting gloves with Angus Gunn. The Nottingham Forest goalkeeper appears to have the edge after being handed the number one squad jersey, while Gordon will wear 21 and third-choice Liam Kelly assigned 12.
It remains to be seen how much those choices reflect the thinking of head coach Steve Clarke regarding his starting line-up.
Gunn admits he is full of admiration for Gordon, who is 13 years his senior and has battled back from career-threatening injuries.
“Looking at what he’s doing at his age, I don’t know if it would be possible for me or many other players to do that," he said.
"Fair dos to him. He’s in incredible shape and he’s looking great in training. If I’ve got as much left in my career I’ll be pretty happy."
Gordon earned his 84th cap in the 4-1 friendly win over Curacao at Hampden last weekend.
Gunn, who will become a free agent this summer when his Forest contract expires, is on 21 caps following a belated start to his international career after switching allegience from England in 2023.
He would likely need to play into his 40s to reach a similar cap tally to Gordon.
"Do I think I’ll still be playing at his age? My honest opinion? Probably not," Gunn said. “But I think if I am, I’ll be doing something right.
“The way he must have looked after himself throughout his career, it’s paying off now.”