'All positive' despite Gordon sitting out 'special day'

Craig Gordon said it is a "special day" he will "always remember" despite being unable to play more than a minute of his testimonial as his Heart of Midlothian side beat Sunderland 3-0.

The 42-year-old Scotland goalkeeper is recovering from injury and stressed that the game against the club he left Hearts to join in 2007 does not mark the end of his career.

"That's the reason I couldn't play more today," Gordon told Hearts TV. "The medical team just wouldn't allow it and I understand why. It was just too dangerous - too big a risk.

"To play the one minute, I managed to complete my one pass to the dugout as I was instructed to and walk off with a clean sheet, it's all positive."

Goals from Claudio Braga, Lawrence Shankland and Alexandros Kyziridis helped Gordon's mood further.

"It was always going to be a special day for me and the boys made sure of it with a great performance and a great win," he said.

"Walking out to that reception and that amount of fans in the stadium. I've never seen that for a testimonial at Hearts before.

"So to be here and experience that will be something I'll always remember."

Gordon joked that he could have played given how little the visitors did to trouble replacement Zander Clark.

"As it turns out, I probably would have been okay to play as Zander wasn't called upon too many times," he added.

"You never know going into a game how much you are going to be worked and they took the safety first approach, which I can totally understand."

The friendly win comes after Hearts won their Premier Sports Cup group with four four-goal victories that have fans full of optimism as they prepare to start their Premiership campaign next weekend.

"Three goals today - not quite the four we've been used to - but still a very good day's work against quality opposition," Gordon added.

"Really pleasing for us to build that confidence going into next week against Aberdeen but also for the fans to get excited and to some of the new players and see what they can bring to the team as well."