This was the 41-year-old’s first Premiership appearance since a catastrophic leg break in December 2022. After making his comeback, he competed in Scottish Cup matches. On Sunday, he will face Philippe Clement in goal at Hampden, where he will have the opportunity to accrue competitive minutes against the Lions.
Gordon knows that at some stage, he will call it a day as a player. That’s why the chance to feature once again at the national stadium – like he has many times at club level and for Scotland – will be just as special like his other outings. A steely focus keeps sentiment at arm’s length for now.
“It will take everything we have got to get a result, we are aware of that. We have players who can score goals that can hurt them, create chances. We have that belief that on our day if everything go well, we are a match for anyone. We have proven that at different this season. It’s about doing that on the big stage when it really matters.”
It was a comfortable afternoon for the goalkeeper on Saturday, outside a botched clearance that resulted in Stephen Kelly opening the scoring for David Martindale’s visitors. Building relationships with his defenders is something he sees as key, with a steely determination meaning there wasn’t mass amounts of room for emotion.
Gordon said: “I was happy to get back out there -it was my first time back at Tynecastle in a long time.
“Looking at it that way, it was fantastic. Playing with the back four once more and establishing your bearings on the pitch was enjoyable for me. Regaining a positive relationship with defence is beneficial for a goalie.It wasn’t often that you can come back from two goals down to win a game, so I was glad to get the three points. It was a good comeback. We feel more confident going into the following game. Going behind by two goals, I don’t think any of us anticipated a start like that.
“I was pleased that I pursued the ball and arrived before the goalscorer. It was the proper course of action. What wasn’t correct was the way it was done. These occurrences are possible. That can occasionally occur, and I was unfortunate that it worked against me.
“Don’t worry. You rise up and get on with your work. We’ve done it so many times as a team that I know we had the guys on the pitch who could win the game. We are aware of our quality.
That was my driving force ever since. I knew for sure that I wanted to accomplish that and that nothing could stop me. The fact that it is over with almost makes me happy. I followed through on my promise, and I’m now entirely focused on anticipating the semifinals and beyond.”
