Craig Gordon’s contract expires with Celtic in the summer but the 37-year-old doesn’t want to spend the next few months playing second fiddle to Fraser Forster. Gordon has his international participation in Euro 2020 on the line and Neil Lennon should look to allow him some game time.
Hearts are touted as being interested in re-signing the former £8m man but Celtic seem unwilling to lose a quality player given Fraser Forster’s future remaining in the balance.
Not only has Gordon suffered enough on the sidelines due to injuries, he now has the pain of watching from the bench. As an incredible servant to Celtic, he should be allowed the opportunity to get the game time required to make Steve Clarke reinstate Gordon as his number one.
With that said, Celtic shouldn’t be giving the best Scottish goalkeeper to Hearts out of kindness. The club should instead offer Gordon a loan deal at Hearts with his future to be decided in the summer.
This is because the sizeable question that remains is what happens if Fraser Forster isn’t able to return from Southampton. Whilst it is likely that Forster will be keen himself, a deal still needs to be done and come June, he might be back at the Saints. Celtic, meanwhile, could be down to Scott Bain as the one and only first team ready ‘keeper.
The argument that Celtic would be short in the goalkeeping department is also potentially weak as Scott Bain does still exist. Despite disappearing after the Cluj defeat, Bain is a good back up to have behind Fraser Forster. Furthermore, the highly-rated Ryan Mullen could be utilised as the training goalie, the vacancy that would be left should Bain be promoted in Gordon’s departure.
Gordon has proven himself to be ambitious so would be open to the idea of another crack at The Champions League Qualifiers with Celtic should Forster go and should the Englishman seal a deal back to Celtic Park then Gordon will have Hearts ready to sign him – performances permitting, of course.
Football is business and the smart business would be to communicate with Gordon the plan to review his situation in the summer, like was done with Lustig and give him the chance to get some games with a chance to becoming the Scotland number one again.
At 37, Gordon wants game time but will also have retirement in the back of his mind – the wages at Hearts won’t come near that of those that he is on at Celtic so the fears that he may pull a fast one and sign a pre-contract with the Jambos may be unfounded, he could have done that already if he wished to.
If this isn’t something that the club are looking at then it is a shame that a player of Gordon’s quality could be missing in the national team’s ranks as well as on the pitch.
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