Goalkeeper Craig Gordon has announced his retirement from football after “living my dream”, bringing to an end 25 years of playing.
Gordon, 43, completed his second spell at first team Heart of Midlothian this summer and was part of Scotland’s World Cup squad.
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“I never wanted it to end, but it had to,” Gordon said in an emotional video about his fledgling club. “I have lived my dreams and for that, I am very grateful.”
He first left Tynecastle for Sunderland in 2007, with the Black Cats paying a British record £9m for the goalkeeper. Gordon produced one of the most famous goals in Premier League history when he denied Zat Knight of Bolton Wanderers away in 2010.
However, a serious knee injury interrupted his time at the Stadium of Light and, at the end of five years, he entered two years out of the game to rehabilitate and train.
Gordon joined Celtic in 2014 and won his first league title, adding four more during his six-year spell before returning to Hearts. A double leg break in 2022 led to a suspension but the goalkeeper recovered enough to return to action.
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‘Impossible? Maybe. It’s impossible? Not at all’
He made his debut for Scotland in 2004 and scored a career-high 84 points. Combined with his club appearances, Gordon made 766 first-team appearances, including 13 on loan at Cowdenbeath in the 2001–02 season.
He last featured in Scotland’s pre-World Cup win over Curacao in May, his last match for Hearts was a 2-2 draw with former club Celtic in January.
The Scottish national team’s social media account said: “A job like no other.”
“Everybody has dreams,” Gordon added. “Mine was probably no different to most kids – play for my team and my country. The heart of Midlothian and Scotland.
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“Impossible? Maybe. Impossible? Absolutely not.
“Hard work, sacrifices, obstacles. Step by step, dreams come true. From supporting Hearts to playing for Hearts. Years of hard work cannot fully prepare you. You want to make yourself proud, you want to make your family proud, you want to make fans proud.
“I’m not much of a singer, but I improved after singing the national anthem 84 times. Big names, big stages, big stages – I enjoyed every minute of it.”
‘I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did’
As well as his Scottish Premiership honors with Celtic, Gordon added two Scottish Cup winners’ medals to the one he won with Hearts in 2006 and five League Cups. He also won the Scottish Championship with Hearts in 2021.
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Gordon kept 30 clean sheets at international level and shut out almost two-thirds of his team’s games.
And the Edinburgh-born player is expected to bid farewell to Hearts’ support in Friday’s friendly against Rayo Vallecano in Tynecastle.
“[I’m] I am thankful to my teammates and coaches who pushed me all the way,” he added.
“I thank my competitors for encouraging me. I thank the medical staff who have worked with me all these years. I am very grateful to my loved ones for supporting me. And I thank the fans for being behind me for 24 years.
“But now the gloves are finally off and I said goodbye to my playing career, you fans have given me everything, it’s been a fortune to represent you.
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“I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
