Craig Gordon remembers signing for Heart of Midlothian back in 1999. He had gone back to do his sixth year at Balerno High School and the club required a goalkeeper for a cup game. He picked up a pen to sign a year-and-a-half contract with the thought that he would be there almost as a stopgap. 

Fast forward more than 24 years and he was once again signing for his boyhood club. However, on this occasion, it was on the team bus to Perth and an e-signature after "a couple of texts" with the club's sporting director Joe Savage.

The 41-year-old has extended his stay at his boyhood club for a further year. Even with his current role as No.2 to Zander Clark, there was never any doubt that he would. It wasn't an arduous process and it didn't involve much in the way of negotiation.

READ MORE: Craig Gordon: Hearts legend on his journey to master the art of goalkeeping

"There is no reason not to extend and take it into next season," Gordon said. "Happy that it's been done. It was very quick, very straightforward and [now] concentrating on playing.

"I spoke to Joe a couple of times. It was very quick. There were a couple of texts, he sent the contract over and then I signed it. I signed it on the bus up to St Johnstone and sent it back to him, and that was it. It was very straightforward – I wanted to sign and I wanted to stay here."

He added: "Signing in 1999, you sat there with your pen, I don’t think there was the facility to e-sign it and send it back. It’s changed days, but there are probably lots of things in football and life that have changed since back then!"

Gordon is always going to be asked about his future due to his age and the injuries that have punctuated his career. How long will he keep going? Does he have an end date in mind? One of his goalkeeping idols Gianluigi Buffon carried on until he was 45. Then there is Kazuyoshi Miura, the Japanese striker still plying his trade at 56, on the books of second-tier Portuguese side U.D. Oliveirense.

"There is no limit" was the message from Gordon, with the caveat that playing into his 50s is "definitely not happening". Although the sentence began with "I'll probably say".

"There will come a day when enough is enough," he said. 

"Who knows. One year at a time, let's see how it goes and we'll take it from there."

The focus is on getting back into the Hearts starting XI. He played in the previous round of the Scottish Cup, his first competitive match in more than a year. He came through it feeling "absolutely fine" and there are "no real limitations".

It's clear, Gordon is fit and ready to play. In the twilight years of his career, he knows the importance of every game, every minute on the pitch. That brings focus and determination.

"I think at this stage each season could be the last," Gordon noted. "That's a nice thing to have in your mind as well. It certainly keeps me focused and keeps me preparing for each game, pushing hard in training and in the gym and all the things you do off the pitch. Knowing that you have always got that one year that you have to be on top of things, especially at this age. If I start to let anything slide on the training side of things then people are going to notice."

READ MORE: Three key elements of Hearts win and the surprise man of the match

As well as the team's target of finishing third and qualifying for Europe for the third season in a row (it would be the first time in the club's history), Gordon is always aware of his own personal targets and milestones.

"The Celtic game on March 3 will be 23 years since I first appeared in a Hearts squad at Ibrox, March 3 2001," he said. "That’s the next one. I don’t know what the next one after that is but I’ll figure it out after that!"

It was put to him that he still has a European milestone to reach.

"Yep, if I play one more game in Europe I would break the record and hold the most appearances for Hearts," he said. "I’m aware of these things. There are always things to strive for. Any little thing you can use to motivate yourself to push on to the next level.

"It’s 25 years since I signed here, you have to move with the times and look for the next thing. And I’ll always look for something to aim for to try and achieve."