Work, Rest And Play

Craig Gordon’s close season break saw the Celtic goalkeeper opt for a completely different destination

- Tony Connelly

THE close season break is key for mental preparation, and this year Craig Gordon opted for a different sort of break as he looked to recuperate from injury and return ready to stake a claim for a place in the starting XI.

The likes of LA, Dubai and New York are popular locations for the players, but this year the Celtic goalkeeper chose an entirely different experience to help him mentally reset.

“I wanted to go to Africa and do something a bit different, something I’d never done before, so I booked a trip,” said Gordon. “We went to Zimbabwe first and the hotel I was staying at organised for some of the local schools to come together for a football tournament. It was part of an initiative to give back to the local area and I was doing some coaching.

“From there, we moved on to Malawi where we did some work with Mary’s Meals. It gave us the chance to see exactly what they do first-hand. Through the Celtic Foundation, you hear bits and pieces about the work they’re doing out there, but as players we don’t really get much of a chance to take part in that.

“I’ve been to a few of the Foundation’s events now. Last year I did the Sleep-Out and this year I did some work with Mary’s Meals, who have a close partnership with the foundation, so it’s been great to go and see that up close.

“It was really eye-opening. I didn’t understand just exactly what it’s like. You realise how little some people have and how lucky we are, not only to live in this country, but to do what we do.

“I still managed to have a bit of a rest out there as well. I went on a safari in Zimbabwe, which was great to see some of the wildlife up that close. We went to Lake Malawi as well and had a bit of a chill. It’s really picturesque, such a beautiful place.