One player who seems certain to be the focus of attention for Sunday’s Scottish Cup Final is Craig Gordon.
The 37-year-old turned down a contract offer from Celtic in the summer to rejoin Hearts. He now faces the Scottish champions in the Hampden fixture.
Gordon left Celtic as he wasn’t guaranteed first-team football, and
he has firmly cemented himself as Hearts first choice goalkeeper. In the meantime, Celtic have used three different goalkeepers this season.
Will want to bring trophy back to Edinburgh
You have to imagine that Gordon will be extremely motivated for the cup final, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he will want to help Hearts win the cup.
It might take a big performance on the day from Gordon. However, he has the experience to get the job done if required. Another motiving factor for the player will be to prove to Celtic that they were wrong to offer him a contract on reduced terms.
Celtic have already shown that they have had trouble with goalkeepers this season. Gordon will want to prove that point even more by turning in a match-winning display.
Scotland boss will be monitoring performance
There is no doubt that Scotland boss Steve Clarke will be monitoring the game. Gordon will be motivated to show Gordon that he deserves to be in the Scotland squad for next season’s European Championships. He could also want to prove that he should be given a chance to challenge current number one David Marshall.
Only time will tell if the motivation that Gordon has will be enough to win the cup for Hearts. However, you can bet that the player will be determined to bring the Scottish Cup back to Tynecastle for the first time since 2012.