Craig happy to stay as Coleman's bid doesn't cut mustard

IT'S easy to forget that Craig Gordon is now captaining Hearts. Perhaps that's because the role was for so long synonymous with Steven Pressley, but it is also because the goalkeeper's ascent to senior status at Tynecastle has been so rapid.

It seems like only yesterday that Gordon was making his debut for the club against Livingston at Almondvale as a fresh-faced 19-year-old. Now he's the established international goalkeeper for Scotland, and is brushing aside interest from reputable sides in the English Premiership.

Gordon assertion that he thinks "not a lot" of Fulham's £2.5million offer for his services reiterates the goalkeeper's intention to see his first season out as captain of Hearts.

That the bid was so routinely dismissed by the Tynecastle hierarchy also emphasises the high regard in which the Scotland internationalist is held by his club.

The manager at Craven Cottage, Chris Coleman, pictured below claims he was quoted a price of £10million for Gordon but the instant rebuffal forced him to revert his attention towards Preston's Carlo Nash.

Coleman is seeking a reliable goalkeeper to rival his Finnish international No.1 Antti Niemi - a former Hearts employee - but Gordon has no urgent desire to exit the club he has supported since childhood. The 24-year-old has never hidden his admiration for the English Premiership but, regardless of the price tag on his head, he believes unfinished business in Edinburgh is the priority.

"Not a lot, to be honest," was Gordon's response when asked for his thoughts on Fulham's offer. "Until Hearts accept a bid I'm 100 per cent behind everybody at this club and looking to do as well as we did last year. We still have those goals and I'm fully committed to trying to achieve them with the rest of the guys."

Gordon has evolved into one of Britain's most reputable goalkeepers since breaking into the Hearts team under former manager Craig Levein. His consistency of handling prompted Coleman to dispatch Dave Beasant, Fulham's goalkeeping coach, to Edinburgh earlier this month to watch him in Hearts' SPL meeting with Celtic. Days later, the £2.5million offer was lodged.

Not surprisingly, Valdas Ivanauskas is fully intent on keeping Gordon at Hearts, although even he accepts that the day will eventually come when the recently-installed skipper outgrows the SPL. "It's very important Craig is still here because Fulham had interest that was maybe concrete," said Ivanauskas. "I can say I am very happy to keep him because he is our captain. I think £2.5million is a beautiful price, but it's not the price for Craig. I know my price for him."

Ivanauskas did not elaborate to explain whether that tag stretched as far as £10million but, with Czech striker Roman Bednar conceding recently that he, too, has had a hefty valuation placed upon him, it is becoming clear that majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov will not bow to the bigger fish of the UK football pond.

Gordon's value to Hearts cannot only be represented in monetary terms, for his ability to pull off breathtaking saves almost on a weekly basis was central to the success of last season, when the club qualified for the Champions League qualifying rounds and won the Scottish Cup.

This year he has continued as a reliable last line of defence for club and country, helping Scotland to the top of their European Championship qualifying section ahead of nations like France, Italy and Ukraine.

The departure of Walter Smith from the Scottish Football Association saddened Gordon at a time when the national team was enjoying a long-awaited renaissance following the barren tenure of Berti Vogts.

However he isn't the type to mourn the past and, with Alex McLeish preparing to slip into Smith's chair at Hampden Park this Monday, Gordon hopes the new manager will bring continuity, with the Tartan Army beginning to tease themselves with thoughts of Euro 2008 qualification.

"Hopefully we can continue doing what we were doing with Scotland," enthused Gordon. "I don't know a lot about Alex McLeish, I've never played under him, but I think it's a good appointment. You can't argue with his record because he has done a fantastic job in Scottish football with different teams. I'm looking forward to starting work with him."

Gordon's progress in the international arena may be earning him accolades across the continent through his duties with Scotland but events closer to home are occupying his mind sufficiently for now. Hearts have a vital six months ahead as they strive to replicate last season's second-place finish in the SPL and Scottish Cup victory.

There's not a lot else for Gordon to think about.

Taken from the Scotsman