Jamie Walker makes Hearts goalkeeper relegation declaration

Hearts wouldn’t have been relegated last season if the team had Craig Gordon between the sticks, according to Jamie Walker.

A year ago on Thursday, the Tynecastle played their last game in front of fans, losing 1-0 to St Mirren which consigned the side to the bottom of the Premiership prior to lockdown.

Throughout the 2019/20 campaign, Hearts had a goalkeeper issue with Joel Pereira, Zdenek Zlamal and Colin Doyle all struggling to hold down the No.1 position.

Gordon was linked with the club in the January transfer window before his summer return to Tynecastle.

For Walker, it is obvious the difference he would have been able to make.

“If we had Craig Gordon last season, we wouldn’t have got relegated,” he told The Edinburgh Football Show. “The saves he makes are exceptional and for me, he’s the best keeper in Scotland.

“He’s actually quite quiet in and around the training ground. He doesn’t say much but on a matchday, he’s very vocal.

“He’s had the captaincy for the last few games and he brings experience to the group."

Jamie Walker reckons Craig Gordon would have made a significant difference last season. Picture: SNS

‘Can’t understand’

Despite Hearts' dominance of the Championship, Gordon has arguably been the club's player of the season, due to the number of top tier saves he has produced.

Walker, despite watching and playing against him, is still amazed by some of the saves he makes.

He said: “He makes saves at vital moments in the game, like in the semi-final against Hibs and in lots of league games this season.

“I think he’s won us about 10 or 12 points on his own this season. Even off the top of my head I can remember a few. The header against Dunfermline in the game that I came on in and scored; he saved a penalty against Raith Rovers and the semi final was another one. He’s top class.

“It’s weird because I knew he was a really good keeper from watching him play for Hearts many a time as a boy growing up.

“But to see him up close in training and in games, he’s incredible. He’s much better than I thought he was. Sometimes I can’t understand how he keeps the ball out of the net.”