Gordon can be our Goram - Pressley

PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS skipper Steven Pressley today claimed goalkeeper Craig Gordon can be the Jambos' answer to Andy Goram.

The Tynecastle shot-stopper was the hero of the hour for George Burley's side after his stunning save from Motherwell's David Clarkson preserved the 2-1 scorline and secured victory for the Gorgie club to continue their dominance of the SPL with five straight victories.

Gordon has already been tipped for the top by his new manager and Pressley is in no doubt great things lie ahead for the Edinburgh youngster, who has already established himself as his country's No.1 choice at the age of 22.

Former Hibs star Goram enjoyed a medal-laden career at Rangers, "The Goalie" proving himself one of Europe's best during seven years at Ibrox.

Pressley is confident his Tynecastle team-mate will also prove his weight in gold during the Vladimir Romanov era which has started in such sensational style.

Convinced that Gordon can go on to grace the biggest stages of the game, Pressley said: "It's a sign of a top-class keeper that he can produce important saves despite not having much to do in games. His concentration levels are fantastic and I think he has learned from someone like Antti Niemi.

"I don't think there is any doubt that Craig can go on and play for a top side like Manchester United or Arsenal in the English Premiership. He's that good.

"Andy Goram [below right] was often talked about as being worth 10-15 points to Rangers in his time. I think in Craig's case we can talk about similar figures. He earned us two points with his late save at the weekend and it was a very significant stop.

"It was important to go into the break for international matches with our momentum continuing after a victory otherwise some people may have said our bubble had burst. We were delighted to get the three points and I was also delighted for Craig as not only is he a great keeper, he is a great lad."

While believing it is only a matter of time before Gordon walks out of Tynecastle to pursue his career elsewhere - his current contract runs until the summer of 2007 - Pressley knows the longer the keeper stays at Hearts the better it will be for all concerned.

The club's bid to extend his stay in Gorgie will gather momentum now that chief executive Phil Anderton is back behind his desk after a holiday and Pressley is hoping for a positive outcome.

He said: "Craig has to serve his apprenticeship and is still early in his international journey. He needs to gain more experience at that level and I think it would be good if he stayed at the club for the next few years.

"You never know what direction this club will go in but Mr Romanov has made it clear he is not here to be an also-ran. He wants to win the league and if that was to happen I'm sure the prospect of Champions League football would be very appealing to Craig.

"Myself and Paul Hartley have agreed new deals but I'm not going to tell people what to do in such situations. It would be fantastic if Craig decided to stay here but he has to do what is best for himself and his family and only he can make that decision when the time comes."

Hearts have swept all before them in storming to the pinnacle of the SPL but despite having helped his side continue their amazing start to the season with a fifth straight victory Pressley wasn't a happy man after Saturday's 2-1 triumph. The Jambos had beaten bogey team Motherwell for the first time in six meetings to leave the rest of their rivals trailing in their wake, Burley's men sitting five points clear of the chasing pack headed by Celtic, Kilmarnock and Hibs.

The victory, secured by goals from Rudi Skacel and Edgaras Jankauskas, was enough to send home the sell-out Gorgie crowd in jubilant mood again, yet the captain was quick to sound a note of caution.

"We had been involved in a difficult match and had done a professional job," he said. "Motherwell are always a difficult proposition but we had shown patience, organisation and good spirit to get ourselves 2-0 up.

"But all that good work was almost undone in the last 15 minutes of the game. We got complacent, Motherwell became dangerous and we almost threw away two points.

"In the end I thought we fully merited the win but it could easily have been a different outcome."

But for Gordon's brilliance Hearts would have dropped their first points of the season and Pressley hopes the close shave will serve as a wake-up call for all concerned with two away fixtures looming at Livingston and Inverness after the international break this weekend.

"I was disappointed on two counts," he said.

"The first was that we had lost a goal as we had three consecutive clean sheets in the SPL and were trying to achieve our fourth. That is a record we should be proud of not only as a defence but as a team. The second reason was that we had let ourselves down in the last 15 minutes of the game on Saturday. We have set standards this season and it is up to us to live up to them and sustain them.

"That didn't happen towards the end of the Motherwell match and that's why I was disappointed. On reflection, though, that is five games and five wins in the SPL and if you'd offered us that at the start of the season we'd have bitten your arm off!"

He added: "In some ways the close shave was a wee reminder that we can be a good team but only if we apply ourselves in the right manner."

The Jambos captain was suitably impressed by Hibs' demolition of Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday, a result which leaves the champions six points adrift of the table-topping Maroons.

Pressley is convinced the intimidation factor which has tended to paralyse Old Firm opponents in recent years is diminishing and he said: "Hibs achieved a fantastic result at Ibrox and such results need to happen on a more regular basis if teams are to close the gap on the Old Firm.

"Rangers have already lost two matches in the league to Aberdeen and Hibs and I think that's great news for the competitiveness of the SPL.

"In previous seasons the gap between the big two and the others had already started to open by this stage and I think the current situation shows that the respect and fear which teams had of the Old Firm is not so great as it used to be."

Taken from the Scotsman