Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon makes World Cup squad after risking death
Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has completed a miraculous return to the national squad for the World Cup in North Carolina after undergoing life-threatening neck treatment earlier this year.
In March, the 43-year-old visited spine specialist Usamah Jannoun in London to address a severe neck issue.
The medical expert warned the veteran stopper that the necessary procedure carried extreme risks, including paralysis or even death.
“You’ve read the information leaflet. You could get paralysis, you could die,” Jannoun told him.
A career defined by resilience
The remarkable journey to Charlotte features in a new BBC Scotland documentary titled Icons of Football.
Throughout his extensive career, the Hearts captain has missed approximately 1,975 days of football due to various severe ailments.
His medical history reads like a catalogue of trauma, including ankle issues, broken arms, a fractured leg, and multiple knee surgeries.
In 2012, a career-threatening battle with patellar tendonitis sidelined the former Sunderland player for two entire years.
Fighting for family and football
Despite specialists advising him to retire permanently, the resilient shot-stopper refused to concede defeat.
He endured immense psychological strain during his rehabilitation, admitting that the physical trauma often brought him to tears privately.
“I suppose I try and hide it. There are definitely times where I’ve cried because of injury,” he confessed.
The veteran made his international debut over 22 years ago, before several of his current World Cup team-mates were even born.
However, the recent neck complication forced the Scottish international to seriously weigh his professional ambitions against his long-term quality of life as a father.