Baggage handler Craig Gordon has issues: leaving his boyhood heroes,

But, finds Michael Grant, he's comfortable with his lot

A GOALKEEPER is always an isolated figure and Craig Gordon stood alone even when he joined Steven Pressley and Paul Hartley in the infamous "Riccarton Three". The trio of key characters in the Hearts side were all gone within nine months of uniting to publicly complain about the upheaval under owner Vladimir Romanov.

For Pressley and Hartley that was that: they were transferred to Celtic and, a few wry comments aside, have left Tynecastle behind and moved on with their lives and careers. It was never going to be so straightforward for Gordon for one simple reason: he was the only one among them who had always supported Hearts.

Since he joined Sunderland for GBP9 million Gordon has made a few knowing remarks about the unorthodox, debilitating state of affairs behind the scenes at Hearts.

If he has been sparing with actual detail then perhaps that will come in the months ahead after he has settled into his new existence as the most expensive goalkeeper in Britain. So much money washed around the deal which took him south that there was no need for him to sell his soul by signing a confidentiality clause. Gordon never dropped much at Hearts but he could still harm Romanov by spilling the beans.

Gordon does not need to dish the dirt to be an interesting commentator on Hearts, though.

Moving to the Premiership has separated him from his club geographically but not spiritually, and he will follow them and even return to watch some matches when they do not clash with Sunderland's fixtures.

His take on Romanov's announcement of a planned GBP51m redevelopment to increase Tynecastle's capacity to 23,000 was one that would align him with many of the supporters who will be expected to fill it.

"I have no idea what the future holds at Hearts, " he said. "It could go either way. I have seen the plans for the new stand and if they can get that up in the next few years that will be great. But they have to have something on the pitch to fill it. There's no point having a new stadium if the fans are not going to turn up to see who's playing there.

They have to make sure they get it right on the pitch as well."

Having playfully thrown up the idea that the new construction be called The Craig Gordon Stand, he clarified that what would please him most would be for "his" GBP9m to be invested in high quality signings.

"I'd like to hope the money they made from me contributes to that.

If they do use some of the money to bring in players, then hopefully they bring in quality."

Sunderland chief executive Peter Walker was the man given the wearying task of reaching a deal with Romanov and his lieutenants.

"I think he did well to eventually get something sorted out with Hearts, " said Gordon. "I know it was quite difficult for him and they were quite hard to deal with at times. It took an awful lot of patience. Sunderland stuck with it and held out when other teams might have pulled out because it was too much hassle."

Hearts have stumbled through their opening SPL matches, assistant coach Stevie Frail has taken criticism from frustrated supporters - an occupational hazard of being the only identifiable figure in their management - and even Gordon's former goalkeeping coach, Jim Stewart, made an unexpected departure. The seemingly permanent sense of turmoil convinced Gordon that, almost five years after making his debut aged 19, it was time to leave.

"I think that's probably the case.

It could have had a detrimental effect on my career if I had stayed.

I didn't know Jim Stewart was leaving until the day he went.

That was a surprise. I think that's another factor in me knowing I made the right decision. Steve Banks [Gordon's successor in goal] is there and he has a chance to have a good season. He is coaching himself, kicking a ball against a wall, catching it and saying 'good save Banksy!' At least he'll be getting a bit of praise!

"The things you have to go through at Hearts are very testing mentally for a player. I came through that and still did as well as I could in the circumstances. That will stand me in good stead for this move and for the rest of my career.

"I was still sad to leave the club.

But I knew it was the right time and I had to go for the betterment of my career."

His club and international team-mate, Russell Anderson, donated his GBP250,000 signing-on fee to Aberdeen's youth development operation. But there was clarity about where that money would go at Pittodrie which would not be the case given the cloudy financial arrangements at Hearts.

Gordon is reticent about making a similar gesture.

"They have managed to get GBP9m for me, which is a tremendous fee.

It's about 10 times what they have ever paid me so they have done a good piece of business. I have not received my signing-on fee yet, so we will see what happens. But it is a more complicated situation."

Scotland has much invested in Gordon being a success in the Premiership and most fans - some Hibs ones apart, perhaps - have been protective and twitchy whenever they learn that Roy Keane's team have conceded a goal lest it was a mistake by their goalkeeper.