Rangers saved my career and then I won 5 titles with Celtic but here is the real truth why I never moved to Ibrox
Craig Gordon rebuilt his career with Celtic.
But it was at Rangers that the goalkeeper rebuilt his knee – and thus made the biggest save of his life.
His playing days.
Rangers physio Steven Walker helped him get back between the sticks in 2014 after two years out injured.
But the Hearts legend admits he had to be SELFISH and look after number one when deciding on his next move.
He would go on to lift 12 trophies including five league titles with Celtic.
Incredibly, 11 years later, Gordon's on course to break the 700 club appearances milestone and he is now on 81 Scotland caps with the 2026 World Cup still in his sights.
And he owes the majority of all that, in no small part, to Ibrox physio Walker.
A total of 41 caps and nearly 400 club appearances have come in the 11 years since his miraculous recovery from a series of knee injuries at Sunderland that looked to have ended his career.
Gordon had three operations and underwent treatment in Barcelona and London before spending the best part of a year working with Walker.
Now, as he looks forward to his testimonial season at his beloved Jambos, Gordon said: 'I probably thought that I wouldn't play again.
'When I went into Rangers I worked with Steven and he was really good.
'He was the guy that worked out how to get me back.
'It came through Jim Stewart, who had been a goalkeeping coach at Hearts and Scotland, and who was with Rangers at the time.
'Rangers had already rehabilitated a Norwegian guy, Thomas Kind Bendiksen, with a very similar injury.
'I had PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injections over in Barcelona with the guy that Pep Guardiola sends his players to.
'I had high-volume injections in London. I had all the different treatments I could possibly do to chuck everything at it.
'But if it's one person who turned it round, I would say it would be Steven. He was able to devise a programme that enabled me to build up the muscle around my knee to take the load off the tendon.
'I just never know what would have happened without that. Once I realised there was a chance to get back, I poured everything into it to give myself that one last opportunity to get to the bottom of it.'
That was the start of a series of opportunities that have led Gordon miraculously back to the top.
By summer 2014, more than two years after his last appearance for Sunderland, he was in a condition ready to resume his career.
Not at Rangers though. At Celtic Park where Ronny Deila handed him his big chance.
He said: 'At certain times as a footballer you've got to be a bit selfish and do the thing that's best for you.
'And that was the best thing for me, for my career, to play at the highest level.
'Rangers were in the lower leagues at the time and took a further three years to come to the Premiership. I managed to get those three years playing in the Premiership and playing for Scotland that perhaps maybe I wouldn't have had.
'It was a difficult thing to do but sometimes you've got to do what's best.
'Rangers already had two senior goalkeepers.
'To add another one at that stage probably wasn't financially the right thing for them to do.
'They wanted me to play in a couple of reserve games to prove that I was fit enough to stay there.
'If I had done that then my injury insurance would have been invalid. So I just couldn't do that.
'That was the reason why that never happened.
'I spoke to Raith Rovers. Hearts had Jamie MacDonald and didn't know if he was going to be leaving. I think Neil Alexander came in.
'Then Celtic came in. I knew I would have really good medical care there. I could give it the best possible chance to continue my rehab and try to get some games.
'There was obviously speculation about Fraser Forster so there was a little chink of light – him potentially moving on.
'It all fell into place at exactly the right time.
'I managed to play 50 games my first season back after not playing for two years.
'I didn't know it was possible until I managed to do it.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Joe Rothwell transfer timeline revealed as Rangers ready to announce second summer signing
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JOE ROTHWELL is set to be Russell Martin's second summer signing. And the Bournemouth midfielder wants to pledge allegiance to the dark blue of Scotland as well as the light blue of Rangers. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 3 Rothwell in action for Southampton under boss Martin Credit: PA 3 He spent last season on-loan with Leeds United Credit: Getty The Ibrox club have agreed a deal for 30-year-old Rothwell, who helped Leeds United to Premier League promotion on loan last season and is eligible for Scotland. Speaking in April, he said: 'I'm more than open to the idea of playing for Scotland. My gran was Scottish and she would be really proud if I was to do that.' Rothwell is expected to pen a three-year deal and follows defender Max Aarons, who joined Gers on loan from the Cherries last week. The midfielder is signing for an undisclosed fee and had his medical on Tuesday — with his arrival in Glasgow expected to be confirmed on Wednesday. Rothwell is a product of the Manchester United academy, and made the switch to Bournemouth from Blackburn in 2022. He joined Martin's Southampton side on loan — helping them to the Premier League in season 2023-24. It's understood Rothwell snubbed several offers from La Liga to hook up with his former boss at Ibrox. The Rangers gaffer is ramping up recruitment with experienced defender Conor Coady wanted from Leicester City. Hamza Igamane is on the brink of a £15million switch to Lille, and Gers are now stepping up their search for a replacement striker. Israeli ace Dor Turgeman remains their top target. Former Rangers owner Sir David Murray vows to save Dalzell steel mill with masterplan Reports claim the Ibrox side are willing to meet Maccabi Tel Aviv's asking price of just over £4m, with the 21-year-old keen to move to Glasgow. As we revealed last Sunday, Lille have upped the ante in their pursuit of Igamane, with a deal now close. Gers swooped for the Moroccan international in a deal worth £1.7m last summer. He hit 16 goals for the Ibrox side last season. His outstanding display against Nice in the Europa League caught the eye of clubs across Europe, but Lille are now closing in on a deal for Igamane. Cyriel Dessers is on the brink of a move to AEK Athens. Feyenoord have also been linked with last season's top scorer — but reports in Greece on Tuesday claim AEK are preparing their final push to land the front man. Boss Martin is also continuing to track Croat forward Matija Frigan. Meanwhile, Gers are set to bring in former Arsenal goalkeeper coach Sal Bibbo to work with Jack Butland and Liam Kelly. 3 SunSport understands Bibbo, who has been working at Sheffield Wednesday, is the man Martin wants for the job. He only had two permanent staff members with him when he was appointed head coach in June — his long-term assistant Matt Gill and also performance coach Rhys Owen. Bibbo, who spent a year on Arsenal's staff, is free to move after the expiry of his contract at crisis club Wednesday. There's still room for more coaching input on Martin's backroom team — with Issame Charai departing last month to manage Belgian outfit Westerlo. A former pro keeper himself, Bibbo played for the likes of Sheffield United, Bath City and Havant and Waterlooville. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Rangers chasing Chelsea defender as Russell Martin looks to bolster back line despite Premier League competition
RANGERS look set to have a busy transfer window as Russell Martin gears his squad up for crucial Champions League qualifiers. The Gers boss has already added right-back Max Aarons on a season long loan from Bournemouth, and it is being reported that another loan transfer could be on the cards. 2 Aarons became Russell Martin's first signing as Rangers boss Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 England and Chelsea youth star Ishe Samuels-Smith Credit: EPA According to Football London, Rangers, alongside Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Stoke City are chasing the signature of young defender Ishe Samuels-Smith on a season-long loan. The London club want to send the youngster out on loan to gain experience, and Ibrox could be the destination. It is reported that Rangers have held 'club-to-club' talks with Chelsea over a deal for the 19-year-old. He has been training in London and will link up with the rest of his Chelsea team mates who did not travel to the FIFA Club World Cup, on Monday. The defender is under contract until 2031, which indicates how highly he is rated by the London club, and a conversation over his future is set to take place in the next two weeks, according to the report. The Gers are also close to the signing of Joe Rothwell, with the 30-year-old set to join Aarons in a move from Bournemouth. He is set to link back up with ex-boss Russell Martin, as the pair worked together in Southampton's play-off promotion squad. Samuels-Smith isn't the only defender Rangers are rumoured with too. England international Conor Coady has also been linked with a switch to the Light Blues, and ex-Ger Jermaine Defoe has told him all about the Ibrox club. The ex-striker told The Daily Record: "He said to me: 'J, if I get the chance to play for a club like that, it would be unbelievable'. And the great thing is, he's still only 32. It's not like he's 35. Former Rangers owner Sir David Murray vows to save Dalzell steel mill with masterplan 'He can go there, sign a four year contract and really make a difference to Rangers. He can lead them and drive that changing room. 'I don't want any other club to get him. Rangers can't miss out on signings like this. If we're looking to go in the right direction as a football club, take this opportunity." Rangers meet Panathinaikos later this month in Champions League qualifiers, meaning the clock is ticking for Rangers to get business done before the two-legged tie. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Celtic 'set' exact Nicolas Kuhn transfer price for RB Leipzig as Como talks 'continue' despite major caveat
The German is in demand this summer after returning some impressive numbers for the Scottish champions last term Celtic have reportedly told RB Leipzig the asking price for Nicolas Kuhn amid escalating interest in the winger. The German star has Newcastle United and Como among his suitors this summer after a campaign that returned an impressive 21 goals and 15 assists. The 25-year-old turned in notable performances in the Champions League as the Hoops claimed a domestic double. However, Der Westen claim that the valuation could surge beyond that with the Hoops' set to have told suitors bidding starts at £14.9million - with the Scottish Premiership champions hoping to land "more than" £17million for the wide man. Record Sport understands there has been no official bid tabled for the attacker despite Leipzig 's appointment of Ole Werner as their new permanent boss - a decision that was believed to be holding up the Bundesliga side's transfer dealings. But Celtic 's hopes of starting a bidding war with Como's interest in a deal cooling. Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio stated last week that the Serie A side had launched "serious" talks over a deal for the Celtic star. He claims that while negotiations are continuing between the two clubs, AZ Alkmaar's Jayden Adda is "gaining ground" of the 25-year-old and could emerge as the preferred target. It comes as "there is still no agreement between the clubs on the figures of the deal". It comes after Parkhead legend Paul Lambert warned Kuhn over a departure, exclusively telling Record Sport: "As a Celtic player, you have to be consistent. You need to hit eight out of 10s every week, more or less. "And when you don't do it, then you'll probably hear it from the supporters. "He was brilliant in the first half of the season, but the season doesn't last half a year. It's a year, so you've got to perform consistently. "You can't turn around and say, 'I'm only going to play half a year.' If that were the case, then everybody would still be playing. "Nobody can dispute that he was really good in the first half of the season - but do it for the full year." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
