One of the clearest measures of Celtic’s success is how long rivals spend talking about the titles they failed to win.
That is why Craig Gordon’s latest comments stand out.
The Hearts goalkeeper is currently preparing for Scotland’s World Cup campaign, yet Celtic’s title triumph remains a talking point weeks after the season concluded.
Frank McAvennie’s brutal take down of Craig Gordon.
What did you make of the Hearts goalkeeper's comments? 👇
Craig Gordon’s comments show how much Celtic’s title win still hurts
Speaking about losing the Premiership to Celtic, Gordon said, “I don’t think you ever will (get over it). It’s time to look to the World Cup now and those things will remain in the past. There’s nothing anyone can do about it.
“The feelings that everyone has are their own feelings. I’ll have them forever but it happens in football, you have to move on.
“We’re here at a World Cup now, the excitement levels are building so it’s now time to concentrate on that.”
The timing of those remarks is what makes them significant. Gordon is no longer speaking in the immediate aftermath of Hearts missing out on the title. Weeks have passed, yet the disappointment remains.
He speaks of ‘having to move on’, but his comments over the last few weeks have shown that bitterness at Hearts is still alive and well.
That follows Gordon’s Instagram post in which he referenced the “anger, the disappointment, the injustice” he felt after the final day.
Hearts came close. They arrived at Celtic Park with the title within touching distance and even took the lead before Celtic turned the match around.
The lingering frustration underlines Celtic’s achievement
Celtic did not stumble across this title. The champions finished the season strongly and delivered when the pressure was at its highest.
Meanwhile, Hearts’ own form proved costly. As highlighted in Frank McAvennie’s response to Gordon’s comments, the Edinburgh side collected just five points from their final seven away matches.
That is why claims of injustice are difficult to support. League titles are decided across an entire campaign, not by one result or one moment.
Gordon is entitled to feel disappointed and his honesty is refreshing. However, the fact he is still discussing the title race while preparing for a World Cup arguably says more about Celtic than it does about Hearts.
The biggest successes leave a mark of pain on rivals. Gordon’s latest admission is further evidence that Celtic’s title win did exactly that.
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