Craig Gordon backed for Scotland record as Robbie Neilson reveals Hearts hero's motivation

Robbie Neilson reckons Craig Gordon will be motivated to stick around for another qualifying campaign with Scotland - and become the nation’s oldest ever international footballer.

The Hearts goalkeeper is now the country’s 10th most capped player of all time after making his 66th appearance against Austria last week and stands just 10 caps off fifth-placed Paul McStay.

He’s also less than a year away from breaking David Weir’s record for being the oldest player to pull on the navy blue at 40 years and 116 days.

Incredibly it’s a decade ago this month that Gordon played his last game for Sunderland, leading to an agonising two-year spell on the sidelines in which he feared he may never play again as he battled injuries.

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Fast forward 10 years and Hearts boss Neilson reckons he is making up for lost time in the twilight of his career.

Gordon has been in the form of his life for club and country and is among the five-man shortlist for international player of the year.

Should he continue to be Steve Clarke’s first choice for Scotland and help the country reach another Euros in 2024 he would become Scotland’s oldest ever player at 41.

Another show-stopping double save in Saturday’s draw at Ross County