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Gordon now out to prove a match for Old Father Time

STEPHEN McGOWAN

AT The age of 39, Craig Gordon knows he can’t go on playing for Scotland forever. It won’t stop him trying. A point against Ukraine clinched promotion to Group A of the Nations League and three sell-out games at hampden against top european nations.

By the time the games come around in 2024, the hearts keeper will be well into his 40s. After a significant chunk of his career was lost to a career-threatening knee injury, however, he plans to spend the next two years scouring the internet for anti-ageing potions.

‘That’s what I’ve said to the boys, that I’ll be trying my best,’ he admitted. ‘Who knows? It’s a while away yet. Let’s see what happens. I’ll give it a go.’

Gordon anchored a defence which defied injuries, inexperience and the fact they were relative strangers to secure a disciplined clean sheet in Krakow.

Timely saves from Artem Dovbyk and coveted Shakhtar winger Mykhaylo Mudryk early in the second half averted another glorious failure.

While it’s far from clear who might be a good enough long-term replacement for Gordon (right), there is no questioning the hearts No 1’s quality in the here and now.

‘I got a little bit lucky (with Dovbyk). It stuck with me, I didn’t mean to catch it,’ confessed the veteran. ‘It could’ve been close to offside and VAR might have checked it. But it was important not to concede.

‘We wanted to get the first goal. We felt the first goal was going to be very important.

‘So, to keep it nil-nil, I was pleased at that point. And then we dug it out, so great.’

Gordon was impressed by the debut of hibernian defender Ryan Porteous, an opponent in the edinburgh derbies.

Central defenders rarely come into their prime before their mid-20s and, at 23, Porteous offered a tantalising glimpse of what lies in wait with more experience and maturity.

‘Ryan was brilliant,’ said Gordon, ‘really good. What a debut.

‘Really composed on the ball, threw his body when he had to, made some good blocks — even when they (Ukraine) were ultimately offside at times.

‘he still got back to help me out and, yes, I thought he was excellent. We’ve all known he’s a good player and he’s been coming through for a while.

‘I spoke to David Marshall about him a few months ago and he was loving playing behind him. David said he was an excellent player and he expected big things of him.

‘I think Ryan showed why against Ukraine. Not only was he a great defender, but he was good on the ball for us. he brought the ball out and what a real composed, confident first game for him.’

A larger-than-life character, Porteous has rubbed fans of one or two rivals clubs up the wrong way.

Accused of cheating to win a penalty recently by Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin, a reputation is beginning to creep up on the young defender. Called up to his fourth Scotland squad, management and team-mates found the reality to be a little different.

‘he’s been relatively quiet. But he’s not been around this environment for very long,’ revealed Gordon. ‘Certainly, you can tell he’s got a confidence and a belief about him, the ability. And he certainly backed that up.

‘All of the boys at the back were brilliant, but it was a great team effort that got the results for us. everyone did their bit.’

They did so in difficult circumstances as well. Called in as a late replacement, hearts defender Stephen Kingsley hadn’t kicked a ball for Scotland since a 3-0 defeat to France in a pre-tournament warm-up game in Metz in June 2016.

‘Stephen got on the park before and I think this is a slightly better outcome than the last time he managed that,’ grinned Gordon.

‘I’m delighted for him. he’s been working so hard at the club and, to get that recognition, to come on in such a pressured environment and see out the game, was great for Stephen.

‘But, right across the back, I could name every single one of the boys.

‘Aaron hickey has come in and played in all three games and given so much. A lot of the play came down his side. he’s so composed on the ball, can bring it inside on his left foot, which is almost as good as his right... you just don’t know which foot he kicks with. Aaron’s a fantastic prospect going forward for this team.’

For a player hurtling towards a landmark birthday, the injection of energy and youth offered by the likes of hickey, Porteous, Billy Gilmour and Nathan Patterson is invigorating. If his body holds up, Gordon plans to be around Scotland squads for a while yet.

‘Just to be part of this group is fantastic. A great bunch of boys to come away with,’ he said. ‘You can see how much they’re fighting for each other, every single game.

‘everybody enjoys coming away. It’s a great atmosphere.

‘We’ve really created that now and we want to keep it as long as possible.

‘We want to try and get to major tournaments.

‘We’ve had a taste of one and we want to give ourselves the best chance to do it again.’

Nations League

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2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

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