"‘Left’ and then ‘re-added’, so that's how it stands."

Craig Gordon had two notifications on the Scotland WhatsApp. Back in June when he made a substitute appearance against Finland ahead of Euro 2024 it was assumed that would be his farewell for the national team.

Fast forward four months and the Heart of Midlothian legend is back in the Scotland squad aged 41 looking to add to his 75 international caps.

"I found out coming off the training field just before we left to go to the airport," Gordon said in Azerbaijan ahead of Hearts' Conference League clash with Dinamo Minsk. "So yeah, I didn't expect it.

“I thought probably the last time that I played that would be the final game. But I never closed that chapter. I went away and worked hard and had a good pre-season. All I've ever done is gone away and worked hard to try and come back. And that's what I've done. I've managed to play a good number of games so far in the season. I just concentrated on myself, worked as hard as I could. 

“It's nice that the opportunity has come up again.

“I didn't want to close that completely just in case something like that did happen. There is no better feeling than representing your country to go out and play for Scotland.

“I’ve been very lucky to do that on 75 occasions. To do that once more, having probably thought it was already the end, would be even more special again. So yeah, I'm very thankful for any opportunities that I get at this stage of my career to play in big games and show that I can still do it at a very high level.”

Gordon opened up on that experience against Finland. The goalkeeper knew when he made that appearance he wasn't going to Germany for the Euros.

"I didn't close that chapter but I definitely was thinking that that would be the last time that I would play for Scotland," he explained. “And that was emotional. That was a very difficult few days leading up to that, finding out that I wasn't going to go to the Euros. And then I was going to play a few minutes in this game.

“There was so much going on, trying to get family there to see what it looked like being the final chapter of my Scotland career. It's very difficult to prepare for a match of that magnitude when you feel it's coming to an end.  So that was a crazy few days, difficult circumstances to try and play under. But yeah, still thankful for that moment to come on.

“And you never know, that may still be the last time that I ever play for Scotland. I obviously hope now that it's not, but it could well be. So for that moment, I was very grateful for that, for being on the pitch that one final time. But now I'm back in the squad, I'm hungry to try and make that, not the end, but make one more appearance in a competitive game."

Looking ahead to Thursday night in the Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium, Hearts begin their Conference League campaign. 

For Gordon, who is targetting 300 appearances for the club, and Hearts it represents a great opportunity to progress beyond the league phase and play knockout football in Europe after Christmas.

“That has to be the aim," he said. "It's a difficult one. Lots of difficult matches at this level. You're going to have to fight and scrape for every single point you can get.

“And with the way it is now with the league format, three points are going to be vital. Winning matches is going to be vital. We have to go out there with the mindset that we're going to try and get the three points. Because it's going to be so much more important now than it ever has been."

Read more

He added: "I think we've got a big opportunity coming up in this competition right here. It's probably a welcome distraction from everything that's going on in Scotland for us at the moment.  To come over here as a group and focus on getting a good result and getting off to a good start in this group.

“It's a group campaign, so we want to do as well as we can. And if we can get a few wins on the board, then there's the opportunity that we could perhaps get out of the group. So we have to focus on that. That is the next game.

“Beyond that, we go back to Scotland and try and pick up the results and get ourselves up the table."

Should Hearts be trailing late on could we see Gordon reprising his role against Ross County and coming up for a corner to cause havoc?

“I don't know," he admitted sitting next to interim coach Liam Fox. "I didn't even ask permission. I just kept running. I'm going to ask the boss the next time before I run up there."