Craig Gordon hopes to end his long wait for another domestic cup medal when Celtic play Dundee United on Sunday. The teams meet at Hampden in the second of four successive meetings with the League Cup up for grabs. Celtic last won the competition six years ago, but Gordon’s previous triumph at the national stadium came in 2006 when Hearts beat Gretna in the Scottish Cup final. And after spending two years out of the game with a series of injuries before Celtic revived his career last summer, Gordon has more reason than most of his team-mates in his quest for glory this weekend.
He said: "It would mean a lot. I have never got to a League Cup final. It would complete the set of both cup medals for me and I would love to add to that medal. I probably thought it would come around again soon. I probably didn't take it all in as well as I should have done at the time and enjoyed the moment. I did think it would come again and I have come so close to nothing like this ever happening again. I will be fully focused on the game but I want to enjoy and hopefully have a day that I can remember. I have never really come close since then so that's an indication of what can happen in a career, and you never know when the end might come. You have to enjoy these moments and try and win these games to give yourself the memories to hold on to when you finish playing."
Regardless of the outcome, Gordon will spend little time reflecting on his return to the big time after many critics thought his career was over. Celtic face United again on Wednesday in a Scottish Cup replay following last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Tannadice, and the teams go head to head in the Scottish Premiership on 21 March. Gordon said: "Just now I am fully focused on what I have to do and what we have to do to try to win the cup. It's a difficult game and we have shown how the teams can be on any given day. And now it's a cup final that's at stake. So I am fully focused on that. Maybe afterwards I might be able to look back but not too long because we have the replay on the Wednesday. It's just too hectic at the moment to take a step back and look at it that way, but one day I will."