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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 23 Dec 2006 Dundee United 0 Hearts 1 | Team-> | Page-> |
| <-Srce | <-Type | Scotsman ------ Players | Type-> | Srce-> |
| Valdas Ivanauskas | <-auth | MARK BONTHRONE | auth-> | Charlie Richmond |
| 42 | of 066 | Paul Hartley pen 54 ----- | L SPL | A |
Gordon head and shoulders above Tynecastle team-matesMARK BONTHRONE RECENTLY-APPOINTED Hearts captain Craig Gordon leads the People's Choice voting at the half-way stage of the season which is unlikely to surprise many of the club's supporters given his breathtaking displays. The 23-year-old Scotland internationalist has been one of the few constants in a turbulent campaign so far and is the only player to have featured in every league match played by the Gorgie club this term. Since making his Hearts debut more than four years ago he has clocked up in excess of 150 appearances for the Jambos and has won cult status among supporters. He had the unenviable task of having to live up to the standards of Finnish goalkeeper Antti Niemi, who played shortly before him yet has filled his gloves comfortably and is now regarded as one of the greatest stoppers to have played for the club. He was nominated for the Hearts Hall of Fame recently and, although he didn't make the final selection, it seems like only a matter of time before the 23-year-old is included. His displays for Hearts have been worth countless SPL points to the Jambos and many an opposition player has been left cursing his name at some of his belief-defying saves. The Edinburgh-born shot-stopper is comfortable dealing with the back-pass rule and commands his penalty box with great authority despite his relatively young years for a goalkeeper. It is, however, his fantastic reflexes that have helped him become the undisputed best goalkeeper in Scotland and arguably one of the top in Europe. Football fans in this country are perhaps guilty of taking Gordon's abilities for granted as they've witnessed him pulling off stunning stops on so many occasions, yet his worth to Hearts can't be underestimated. And it's no surprise that the likes of Italian side Palermo as well as English giants Arsenal and Manchester United have been linked with an interest in acquiring his signature. Hearts fans will be desperate to retain his services for as long as possible, though, particularly since he now has the added responsibility of trying to skipper the team against the back-drop of off-field uncertainty following Steven Pressley's "amicable" parting of the ways with the club recently. But it's a role he appears to have taken in his stride just as he seems to have fitted in comfortably to Walter Smith's national squad where he is now an integral part of the resurgent Scotland team which has already made a surprisingly decent stab of trying to qualify for the Euro 2008 championships. Gordon looks set to be a mainstay of the Scotland side for years to come as it's difficult to see somebody coming through the ranks to displace him. Following hot on Gordon's heels in the rankings is Pressley who, despite having ended his eight-year association with Hearts, is still held in extremely high regard by the fans. His spell at the club saw him become Hearts most capped player of all time and although his time at Tynecastle ended in a disappointing fashion due to off-the-field problems, on it he was continuing to prove why he was regarded as one of the top defenders in the country. His no-nonsense style of play endeared him to the Tynecastle faithful but almost as important as his own displays in a maroon jersey was the impact he had on those playing around him. A natural leader and motivator, he helped nurture Andy Webster as a defensive partner, bringing his game on leaps and bounds before beginning the same job with the emerging Christophe Berra this season. However, he ultimately paid the price for voicing his concerns about the manner in which the club was being run much to the disgust of the majority of the Hearts support. A player who wore his heart on his sleeve, Pressley will be extremely difficult for boss Valdas Ivanauskas to replace because of his playing abilities and leadership qualities that served the club so well during his time in Edinburgh. HOW THE HEARTS PLAYERS HAVE FAREDCraig Gordon 6.52 from 19 games Players only qualify if they have played five games or more this season. Only SPL games are included.  Taken from the Scotsman |
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