Craig Gordon has announced his decision to retire from professional football.
The goalkeeper represented Hearts, Cowdenbeath (loan), Celtic and Sunderland during his 25-year career, while also appearing for Scotland 84 times on the international stage.
Gordon started his career with Hearts before joining Sunderland in 2007 for £9m, which was a British-record fee for a goalkeeper at the time.
He then joined Celtic in 2014 before returning to Hearts in 2020; he was their second-choice goalkeeper during his final 2025-26 season.
Gordon kept 127 clean sheets in 308 Scottish Premiership matches, the second-highest in the competition’s history of any goalkeeper, while his 799 saves are the most.
He was also included in Scotland’s 2026 World Cup squad, but did not feature in any games before their group-stage exit.
“Everyone has dreams. Mine were probably no different to most kids: play for my club and my country. Heart of Midlothian and Scotland,” Gordon said during his announcement video.
Craig Gordon, Hearts legend pic.twitter.com/Kptm1fNKFM
— Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) July 16, 2026
“Improbable? Perhaps. Impossible? Absolutely not.
“I’ve never wanted it to end, but end it must. I have lived my dreams and for that, I’m so thankful.
“But now the gloves are finally off, and I bid farewell to my playing career. You, the fans, have given me everything, and it has been a privilege to represent you.”
