When Kristoffer Hagenes, the Norwegian official, blows his whistle at 8pm on Thursday night, Craig Gordon will become No.38 of a very special Heart of Midlothian club.

You only have to look at the names who will soon become alumni.

Gary Mackay, John Robertson, John Cumming, Jimmy Wardhaugh, Willie Bauld, Bobby Walker, Jim Jefferies. Hearts heritage.

Walter Kidd, John Colquhoun, Craig Levein, Paddy Crossan, Henry Smith. The list goes on.

Each and everyone has pulled on and played in the maroon and white on at least 300 occasions.

No.37 and the last man to join that club was Steven Pressley. That was back in 2006. A 4-1 win over Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park under Graham Rix.

Gordon, the man who came back from not one but two injuries where his retirement from the game was considered, certainly by outsiders, will tick off what has been another of his targets against Heidenheim in the Conference League. 

"Legend," was how Kye Rowles put his status. “Great leader. Obviously a great, super ambassador for this club."

The Australian, who will be on hand to give his goalkeeper a "big cuddle" on his achievement, has shared a dressing room with Gordon since 2022. 

“You get to know the man and he cares so much about this club," he explained. “He just loves it so much and wants to be out there in front of his family and friends and give the most. 

“I think the comeback story from his injury a couple of years back just goes to show how much he does care. Not only for the game but for the club as well. He wanted to get back out on the field and help the club again. Yeah, it's just inspirational."

Goalkeepers are built differently. They are not hardwired like outfield players. Gordon, however, has never given off the persona of your traditional or typical ranter or raver in the mold of Peter Schmeichel. He has always appeared calm and composed, rarely flustered. 

That is the reality of a defender playing in front of him, Rowles revealing that when he does shout at you, you know you have done something wrong.

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Off the field, he is a "father" figure in the dressing room, although Rowles stressed that he didn't want to come across as rude. But, after all, Gordon is seven years older than the second oldest member of the squad, 34-year-old Liam Boyce.

“Leading by example," the Aussie said. "If you get yelled at by him, you know you've done something pretty wrong. It's best not to get to that level.

"Just always guiding you where to be, giving tips, maybe this went wrong, this could maybe help it be better. Always trying to help. He's got so much knowledge that he can pass down to all of us boys. If you're willing to learn, then he's got so much info and knowledge for you.

“I think just that calmness. Just never flustered. There are a lot of goalkeepers that are quite aggro. I'm sure he is in his head but he doesn't portray that way.

“I think he's maybe more harsh on himself than he is on others, which is another great quality. Always trying to help us learn from our mistakes and things like that. But like I said, the way he leads, the way he comes across on the field is pretty much who he is off the field as well. He's just a really nice guy and such a great leader."

Taking Rowles back to that day at Tannadice, Christmas Eve, 2022, when Gordon was lying on the turf with a double leg break after a collision with Steven Fletcher, it would have been hard for anyone to imagine that Gordon would reach such a milestone.

What's more, a clean sheet against Heidenheim would bring along another milestone in 100 clean sheets.

“Unfortunately, yeah," Rowles said when asked if he was playing that day. "It was pretty tough to finish the game, to be honest. All the boys were just heartbroken.

“Just to see one of your mates go off like that is never a good thing. Yeah, just heartbroken. But to see where he's got to again after it is just inspirational. Everyone is super stoked that he could get back to the levels that he's reached again.

“Just hearing the way he spoke when you see him in the gym before and after training. Always saying [he'd be back]. If you ask how he is, 'Yeah, I'm going good'. It's a little bit sore, but that's to be expected'. Always sticking to the timeline.

"If there was a setback, took it in his stride, but just always knew that his timeline and the path that he was on, that he was convincing all of us that he really is coming back. He was true to his word and here he is."

Craig Gordon. Hearts fan. Hearts legend. Scottish Cup winner. Inspirational story. The 41-year-old who will be No.38.