I'M NO.2 FOR KEEPS

HEARTS keeper Steve Banks has admitted he knows he will always be second choice to Craig Gordon.

The former Gillingham player was brought to Tynecastle last summer by George Burley as back-up to the Scotland keeper and was restricted to only three appearances for the Jambos.

Gordon signed an extension to his contract in March to keep him at Hearts until 2009 and Banks said: "Earlier in my career I was playing for the first team at Bolton when Jussi Jaaskelainen was there.

"A new manager came in and put him in front of me and then I was on the bench for about a year.

"At that stage I couldn't handle being on the bench and it was reason for me to get away from the club. But I'm 34 now and I've taken my goalkeeping badge so I'm looking to the future and trying to help out younger goalkeepers.

"If it means I have to sit on the bench and try to push Craig as far as I can, I'm quite willing to do that.

"I certainly respect Craig for what he has done in the season that I've been here and hopefully he has respect for me for trying to push him as hard as I can.

"I've had some lows in football but been lucky enough to have some decent highs, and this is certainly one of them."

Taken from the Daily Record