Craig Gordon is expected to stay at Hearts next season, even though his future at the club remains unresolved. Former manager Robbie Neilson said the 43-year-old Scotland international will likely be one Hearts try to keep, with a new deal still to be settled.
That is why Gordon’s name is back in circulation now. He is out of contract, heading to the World Cup, and still waiting for his next move to be nailed down, while Hearts continue to make decisions on a summer squad rebuild that already includes four players leaving.
Neilson, who knows the club’s dressing room as well as anyone, said he believed Hearts would try to offer Gordon fresh terms and hinted that his long connection with the team could shape what comes next. He suggested Gordon may even be open to staying involved beyond his playing days, whether in coaching or in another role around the club.
“I think Craig Gordon will be one that they’ll try [to give a new deal],” Neilson said. “He’s so well associated with the club. I don’t know if he’ll maybe look to progress into some sort of coaching role, as a player/coach or something like that, or even in the background at the executive level. I think Craig had always thought about doing that side of things.”
Hearts’ position on Cammy Devlin shows how unsettled the summer picture still is. The club have already offered the midfielder a new deal and are waiting for his response, but Neilson believes the 27-year-old is more likely to be tempted away by outside interest than persuaded to stay.
“Cammy Devlin, I think it’ll depend on what other offers he gets, and I would expect him to get some good ones,” he said. “Whether it be in Europe, or there was talk of the MLS, you could go there and probably earn a significant sum more than Hearts could afford.”
There is also a selection of exits already taking shape, with Beni Baningime and Frankie Kent among the four players set to leave. Baningime, in particular, stood out to Neilson because he made 30 appearances across all competitions this season despite several spells on the sidelines through injury.
“The one for me that was interesting was Baningime,” Neilson said. “I know he’s had a lot of injuries but when he plays, Hearts play well. With Jamestown Analytics I know they have a say on not just the recruitment but also the retention so maybe they are flagging up differently, I don’t know. But he was the one that I thought they would try to keep.”
For Hearts, the immediate question is not whether Gordon is valued. It is whether that value becomes a contract before another club steps in, because he is still on the market even as expectations at Tynecastle point toward him staying.
