Posts tagged: GORDON

RETIREMENT PLANS?

Former Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon is widely rumoured to be contemplating retirement after failing to recover sufficiently from his injury problems of recent years. The former Rangers goalkeeper has won 40 caps for the Scotland national team, but he has been plagued by injury problems in the last few years. This has led to him being released by Sunderland at the end of last season despite costing the club a British transfer record fee of £ 9 million in 2007. He was viewed as the next big thing from Scotland, but his career has been slaughtered by injury problems in recent years.

He recently said that he would be interested in the possibility of going into football coaching and management as he does not want to leave the game. This has sparked rumours that he may officially announced his retirement after almost a year of being from his contract. He has failed to find a new club during this period. SFA performance director Mark Wotte also said in a recent interview that the 30-year-old has decided to hang up his boots. Wotte said that Gordon plans to enter into coaching of the young goalkeepers.

However, the 30-year-old goalkeeper has branded rumours about his retirement as rubbish. “It was unfortunate he had to quit the game but he’ll coach our young goalkeepers,” said Wotte in a recent interview. Gordon demonstrated his impressive potential by managing to win the vote for the best save in the last two decades of the Premier league. He made one of the best saves in the history of Premier league football in a match against Bolton several years ago.

He has suffered from several knee tendon problems, which have kept him out of the game for the last two years. Martin O’Neill was the Sunderland manager when he was released by the club.

Gordon looks forward to Scotland big game qualifiers

Video clip Rating: / five

Gordon the Goalkeeper! – Have another go!

Movie Rating: 5 / five

CAREER WORRIES

The former Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has said that he is extremely fearful that his playing career may have come to an end. The 30-year-old has been unable to find a new club after being released by Sunderland at the end of last season. He has made just a handful of appearances in the last few years after suffering several tendon and ligament problems. The former Scotland international was signed for a then-transfer record fee for goalkeeper at £ 9 million in 2007 when Sunderland were managed by the former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane.

He was also regarded as one of the best goalkeepers for Scotland. However, he has faced a nightmare few years as a result of injuries. Sunderland decided not to offer him a new contract after he failed to prove his fitness sufficiently to the manager Martin O’Neill. He has been trying to find a permanent club since being released by Sunderland in the summer, but has been unable to do so. He has revealed that coaching is the next option in his mind because he does not want to leave the game. He has already started coaching duties with the former teammate Ian Murray at Dumbarton. Ian Murray is currently the player manager at the club.

“It’s very unlikely I will be playing again this season. In fact I’m not sure if I’ll play again, so I’m looking to get into coaching as I want to remain in the game. I’m not ruling out playing again but I need to get things in place if the news is not good in that respect. We agreed last week for me to come in and start things at Livingston and it may become a regular thing,” said Gordon, who made one Premier league appearance in the 2011-12 season.

GORDON BACKS SYSTEM

The former Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has backed the much criticised pyramid system then Scottish football by saying that it will certainly help the lower league and non-league clubs. The pyramid system in Scotland has been criticised a lot in recent weeks. It follows the non-league clubs to get promotion into the league system. Gordon has said that there are several ambitious clubs across the length and breadth of the country. He has said that this system will provide clubs with something to aim for at the end of the season. It will certainly increase the competition amongst the non-league clubs according to Gordon.

The 30-year-old is currently a free agent after being released by Sunderland at the end of last season. He is currently fighting to get fit once again. Gordon was once the British transfer record holder for a goalkeeper after his £ 9 million move to Sunderland in 2007. However, a succession of injuries in recent seasons have meant that he has been able to make only one appearance since 2011. There have been reports that the third division club Rangers will be interested in the possibility of signing him if he returns to full fitness, but Gordon has revealed that he has his eyes set on coaching already.

“I am doing my goalkeeping licence and trying to become qualified as a coach. It is something I can look forward to and get my teeth into. Coaching is not something I looked into too closely until my injury. I am still pretty young, having just turned 30, but if I can get some coaching badges then I might give it a shot. I have played at Netherdale for Hearts when I was younger. The pyramid system has got to come in,” said Gordon in a recent interview.

MOYES INTERESTED IN GORDON

The Everton manager David Moyes is thought to be one of the managers interested in the possibility of bringing the former Scotland international Craig Gordon on a free transfer. The 29-year-old is currently available on a free transfer after being released by the Premier league club to Sunderland after the end of last season. It was not long ago that he commanded a £ 9 million fee for his transfer from Rangers. However, numerous injury problems over the last few years has meant that he has been able to appear in the first-team only a handful of times. Yet, David Moyes is willing to take the gamble with the former Scotland international.

The Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill had the opportunity to look at Craig Gordon before the end of his contract, but decided against offering him a new deal due to his injury problems. He has since been without a club. If Gordon does come to Goodison Park, then he will not be the first gamble taken by David Moyes at the club. During his tenure at the club, Moyes has been extremely successful in getting the best out of players on free transfer. Craig Gordon is currently recovering from a knee problem that has kept him out of action at the back end of last season.

“We need competition in all areas and that extends to Tim Howard in goal, absolutely. Everybody has got to make sure they are at the top of their game. We have got to make sure we are not continually giving away things, making mistakes that are leading to goals which cost us. We need competition and there hasn’t been enough of that in the last few weeks when we’ve had a few injuries. It is something we have to think about in January,” said Moyes.

Aston Villa vs Sunderland – Gordon Goal 64 minutes

Online video Ranking: / 5

WORKING HARD ON FITNESS

The former goalkeeper of Sunderland, Craig Gordon, has said that he is working very hard on his fitness these days and he would get 100% fit towards the end of this year. Gordon is a free agent at the moment. His contract with Sunderland had expired at the end of the last season and the club didn’t extend his contract. During the pre season transfer window, Gordon was suffering from knee injury and that’s why he wasn’t able to sign for any new club.

Gordon had joined Sunderland in August 2007 on a contract of five years. Sunderland had bought him from Hearts after paying a big transfer fee of 9 million pounds. Gordon made his debut for the Black Cats in a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur and impressed everyone with his performance in the very first match.  He made a couple of fantastic saves in that match and helped Sunderland win that match by 1-0. But, unfortunately, Gordon got injured in the middle of the season and was ruled out of the team for the rest of the season.

He made a comeback in the next season, but, he broke his arm while playing in a match against the Spurs. Due to that injury, he had to remain out of the team for three months.

Gordon kept struggling with injuries in the further seasons as well. In 2010, he again injured his arm and then, in April 2011, he went through knee surgery due to which he had to remain out of action for eight months.

When asked about his fitness and future plans, Gordon said, “It would take me a bit more time to regain complete fitness, but, I think I would get fully fit towards the end of this year.”

“Fitness is the priority for me at the moment. Once I get 100% fit, then, I would start searching a new club.”

GORDON PRAISES MCREGOR

The former Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon was in full praise of the Scotland international goalkeeper Allan McGregor following his incredible performance against Serbia and Macedonia. Scotland were playing against Serbia and Macedonia as part of the World Cup qualifying campaign. It was a very tough match despite being played at home.

However, the incredible performance by the former Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor helped Scotland draw the match against Serbia 0-0, while they managed a credible draw against Macedonia as well. Even though it may not be the best start in

GORDON KEEN ON ITALY

The former Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon is currently in talks with the Italian club Udinese over a potential move to the Italian Serie A. The Scotland international has been without a club for the last couple of months after not being offered a new contract by Sunderland.

Craig Gordon was expected to be one of the next big things from Scotland after he was signed by the former Sunderland manager Roy Keane for a British transfer record fee for the goalkeeper at £ 9 million. However, he has suffered a number of injury problems the last few seasons, which have raised a lot of questions over his future.

The current Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill decided not to extend the contract of the 30-year-old Scotland international, who needs regular playing time in order to get back to his best. He has been looking for a new club to move prior to the start of the new season.

The agent of the goalkeeper has confirmed that his client is currently negotiating a deal with the Italian club Udinese and he expects a good decision to come about in the next couple of days, though there have been rumours he would be appearing in an arsenal t-shirt next season.

Craig Gordon has been linked with a return to Scotland, but it seems that he is looking for an international club.

Meanwhile, the former Sunderland midfielder Steed Malbranque is about to come back from his retirement with the French club Lyon. “It is very clear with Steed. Olympique Lyon want to know where he is to see if there is an opportunity. For now we’re at the stage of observation – we’ll see if it goes well. Steed is a player that we know – he has a lot of maturity and kept his qualities. Then again, he needs to regain his rhythm after a season without playing,” said the Lyon manager.