Being Axed Made Me More Determined Than Ever, Says Craig Gordon

Mar 23 2008 By Gordon Waddell

Scotland V Croatia Wednesday, Kick-Off 7.45pm Live Sky Sports 2

CRAIG GORDON may have lost his place once this season. He may have lost 48 goals in 28 games. But he has never lost the plot.

And the Sunderland and Scotland keeper reckons that steely self-assurance will see him hang on to his No.1 jersey for club and country no matter who threatens him.

Serious questions have been asked of the 25-year-old for the first time in his career this term with Sunderland toiling to keep their head above water in the Premiership and Allan McGregor tearing at the velcro on his international gloves.

Gordon though is still cooler than the other side of your pillow. A £9million star who treads the perfect line between confidence and arrogance as steadily as Blondin on a tightrope.

And although he's out of sight of Scotland's gaffer and fans he doesn't reckon he should be out of mind.

Gordon said: "It has been a tough season but that's the reason I came here - I'm a better keeper for the experience.

"I wanted to play in one of the best leagues in the world. I've faced some of the best players this season and learned from it.

"Guys hit the ball harder, tend to see things that wee bit quicker and are sharper. Every team has a number of danger men you have to look out for and anyone is capable of scoring goals.

So you go into every game knowing you are in for a hard time and can't expect to win many of them. It's a great league for that.

"Look at Birmingham who have taken points off Arsenal home and away - even the big teams can't expect to win any match."

High expectations and standards are something Craig has had to learn to live with under Roy Keane.

And for the first time in his career he found he'd fallen below the level expected of him.

The axe fell on Gordon last November, compounding the pain of a seven-goal mauling by Everton.

He's first to admit it was a shock to the system - but the way he talks, deep down, you get the feeling he still doesn't reckon it was deserved. Craig shrugged: "You have to take a selfish view and look at your own performance - see if you could have done anything better.

"Looking at that game against Everton I don't think there's an awful lot I could have done about it.

"That was a hard time though and I didn't enjoy it. I'm paid to play and it wasn't easy to take.

"Was it the first time I've had a question mark against me? Possibly - but again I was confident I would get back in.

"My confidence in my own ability was never questioned. That's the way you have to be to survive at the top level. You must be single-minded and continue regardless of what goes on around you.

"The manager didn't say much, he doesn't in general. He told me he was leaving me out the team and that was pretty much it. It was then down to me to get back in.

"I was left out for three games and it wasn't easy. The team won 1-0 at Derby straight away and that was our first shut-out since the opening day of the season.

"You might say it was almost expected against Derby and it would have been nice to get that under my belt. You can't leave a keeper out after a clean sheet so I knew it was going to be more than just one week.

"But you can't let it affect you. I had to get into the swing and take confidence from my training."

The Stadium of Light faithful reckon they have seen a different man since then - an assessment Gordon is not sure he subscribes to.

One thing he does believe though is they won't see Darren Ward back between the sticks in a hurry.

Craig said: "It's hard to say if it made me a better keeper - maybe it takes somebody else looking from the outside to see that. It's difficult when you're in that position and desperate to get back in the team.

"But it was definitely a kick up the backside for me. I will always bounce back. That's the way I am.

"Nobody will keep me down and I will get back in the team and play well. There was never any danger it was going to affect me."

Gordon has exactly the right mindset to bridge the gap between club and country - and also believes his former Hearts boss George Burley has the perfect tools for the job.

He said: "At Hearts, like most places he has been, he didn't spend a lot of money and had to work with players already there.

"As a national manager that's what you have to do - get the best out of the lads available and I think he'll do really well.

"Everything is short and sharp in training. It's all done at pace and that's one of the main reasons the players like working under George.

"International football could be the perfect platform for him.

"He is not a manager who will rant and rave. He explains things and goes over them on the board rather than get in anyone's face. At international level the players respect that."

Respect is one thing - but results matter more. And Gordon is still feeling the pain of the last one.

He sighed: "The Italy game still hurts - and the defeat in Georgia probably does even more. That was a big chance missed as well.

"But the moment when Christian Panucci scored Italy's winner was the worst feeling.

"We were desperate not to be left with the typical glorious failure tag but ended up with it and that was the major disappointment.

"Sowe must take the positives into the next campaign and believe we can match the big nations. It's a hard group and the smallest section with less games - but that could help us."