RYAN Porteous has paid an emotional tribute to Ron Gordon and expressed his gratitude for what the late Hibernian owner did for both the Easter Road club and his own playing career.
Porteous, who joined Watford in a £500,000 transfer from his boyhood heroes in January, was shocked when he learned Gordon had passed away following a battle with cancer last month.
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The Scotland centre half got to know the Peru-born American businessman, who bought the Leith outfit in July 2019, well in the past few years and was saddened by his death.
“He was very honest with me,” he said. “When I told him I wanted to move he didn’t stand in my way.
“He wanted to try and benefit the club as much as possible, but he didn’t stand in my way. He found a way to make it work for both myself and the club.
“I didn’t know he was ill, I only found out when Hibs announced it. We knew he hadn’t been to the games, but we didn’t realise why. The family probably wanted a bit of privacy so it came as a shock to us all.
“It was devastating news because it all happened so suddenly with Ron. I have a lot to thank him for that’s for sure. He was a good man who did a lot for the club. He was someone who was so positive around the club.”
Porteous added: “He took the time to phone you and message you. After games he would check in to see how you were. He wanted to know about you and if you had any thoughts on how to make the club better. He would always ask you up front.
“I think the fans saw that too. It’s horrible because he was a really good man and he did a lot for me. It’s a mark of the man that he took the time with his players. Some of the decisions don’t always work out but I think you can see he always wanted the best for the club.
“He always tried his best for the club, he tried to make it work and I think now you are seeing progress in the club and in the team. It’s taken time, but having stuck with the manager they are benefiting. Hopefully they can push for third.”
Porteous admitted that he was looking forward to going to a Hibs game as a supporter in the near future – and confessed that he would like to watch the Edinburgh club in action at either Ibrox or Tynecastle.
“I am looking forward to getting back to a game as a fan because I missed out on that for years,” he said. “I have been trying to look at the schedule to see if there is a Hearts or Rangers away that I can get to. I might need to go with a balaclava.”
