CRAIG GORDON left Celtic last summer to return to Hearts where he had started his career.

The former invincible goalkeeper was not getting game time at Celtic towards the end and couldn’t come to terms on a new deal either.

Steve Clarke told the media yesterday, Craig had had a conversation with him over a year ago when he was still at Celtic. The goalkeeper told the Scotland boss that he would leave Celtic in order to get first team football and be considered for the national team again.

That’s exactly what Craig did, however, had he stayed at Celtic when Barkas came in, there’s a good chance the goalkeeper would STILL be Celtic’s number one.

Speaking to the Glasgow Times, Clarke said:

“Craig just wanted to play football and he felt that leaving Celtic was the best way to do that,” he said. “I had spoken to Craig a few times over the years and he has always known what I think of him as a goalkeeper.

“One of the conversations we had he actually said got me. He said: ‘Maybe I’ll have to leave to get first team football to get involved with Scotland again’. That’s what he wanted, to be involved.”

Craig started this season by making some top saves against Celtic at Tynecastle, resigning Ange Postecoglou to a defeat in his first SPFL game. Gordon looked ecstatic beating his old side at the time.

Since then, Hearts came to town for the League Cup tie where the bhoys ran out 3-2 winners. It was Craig’s poor clearance and then suspect goalkeeping that saw Kyogo Furuhashi score for the bhoys in green.

Joe Hart is currently Celtic’s number one and he’s proven to be a hit so far both on the field and off it.