An appearance by Craig Gordon at any point of Scotland’s friendly with England will carry far more significance than the winning of a 41st cap. Four years, and what seems like a professional eternity, have passed since Gordon last kept goal for his country.
Serious injury meant there was a time when Gordon was desperately in need of people to believe in him. He spent two years without a club and in fear that a knee problem would end his career; this season, Gordon’s stunning form for Celtic has catapulted him back into the Scotland scene. And on merit, unquestionably.
The man who links Gordon and one of England’s goalkeepers, Fraser Forster, is Stevie Woods. Celtic’s coach oversaw sufficient improvement in Forster for Southampton to pay £10m for his services last summer. It was on Woods’s strong recommendation, to Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager at the time, that a deal for Gordon was pursued at a time when others regarded him as too much of a risk. In different ways, both players owe Woods a debt of gratitude.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody that Craig Gordon, once he said he was fit, can deliver what he did more than two years ago,” Woods says. “He could have retired, he could have taken insurance money; Craig not doing that told you everything you needed to know. He wanted to play. He was desperate to get his Scotland career back on track, as well. This has been a big motivation for him.
“At 31, there is a complacency that can creep into a lot of players. That will never happen with Craig because he is so appreciative of where he is, having his career back. He had people telling him his career was over; every time he plays, he rams those words down someone’s throat. He isn’t hungry to play for a year, he is hungry to have a career. Those two years he lost were just a speed bump.”
Initially, Celtic’s plan was for Gordon to provide stiff competition for Forster, along with Lukasz Zaluska and their fine emerging young goalkeeper, Leo Fasan. Southampton’s bid altered that dynamic.
“One of the things Craig had over Fraser was experience,” Woods says. “And there is a calmness to Craig. We felt having him around Fraser would be helpful. He has excellent handling, excellent technique.
“Having spoken to him, I realised Craig’s hunger was something that would benefit the whole squad. After two years out, he wouldn’t take anything for granted. He came into the club wanting to contribute rather than just wanting to be a part of the dressing room.”
Gordon’s subsequent prominence should not be a surprise to anyone who watched him progress to the level where Roy Keane paid £9m to take him from Hearts to Sunderland in 2007. On a level playing field, which Gordon has been denied for so long, he has superior talent to Forster.
“The minute Craig set foot in the building he gave himself a value between where he was and what he went for to Sunderland,” Woods says. “We set goals at the start of the season, a series of motivational targets. Do you want to be a fantastic goalkeeper for Celtic, do you want to go back south? That sort of thing.
“We didn’t think going to Sunderland should be the limit because if he gets back to where he was, who is to say he cannot go somewhere far greater than Sunderland. We didn’t want to put a glass ceiling on things.”
Woods’s work with Forster was altogether different, if similarly impressive. Celtic’s first-team coach, Alan Thompson, knew Forster from his time working at Newcastle United. Forster arrived in Glasgow with the physical attributes to be a top-class goalkeeper but lacked other, essential tools of the job.
“The raw materials were all there,” Woods says. “It was about polishing; he came in as a lump of coal and left as a £10m diamond if you like. The sports-science department did tremendous work with Fraser, which counted for a lot.
“He is an infinitely better catcher of the ball now. He was a barrier before but his handling has improved immensely. He is much more two-footed, his positioning and concentration have improved enormously. Put all of that together and you understand why a club would pay so much money for him. You don’t want a goalkeeper to be invisible, you want him to produce that big save, match-winning save. Fraser started doing that and his career took off.”
Gordon and Forster will be in a familiar environment on Tuesday evening. For very different reasons, both will properly relish the occasion.
