CRAIG GORDON looked up to Andy Goram as a role model and an inspiration as he lived the dream that has taken him to the top of the game for club and country.
And the 39-year-old hopes the Rangers legend will one day look down and be proud of his legacy at Ibrox and Hampden as he sees those who have attempted to follow his path and embarked on their own careers between the sticks.
When Gordon collected the Player of the Year award from the Scottish Football Writers Association last month, he paid a heartfelt tribute to Goram following the devastating news that he was battling incurable cancer.
In the weeks since, the prognosis has become even more serious for Goram. Aged just 58, he is now undergoing treatment to extend his life by days to allow him to spend more time with family, friends and former team-mates.
Goram's tragic plight has touched the hearts and minds of every Rangers supporter and well-wishes have come from across the game as tributes have been paid to one of Scotland's finest players and a keeper who enjoyed remarkable success at Ibrox.
Gordon does not have the kind of close relationship with Goram like others do. The affection and admiration is still clear, though, as he speaks of the impact that 'The Goalie' made on an a kid shot-stopper.
“Ah, everybody did,” Gordon said when asked how much he looked up to Goram as a hero figure. “At that stage anybody who wanted to be a goalkeeper wanted to be like him.
“It is sad the news and obviously it doesn’t look good. We can only wish him the best in the last few weeks.
"It is going to be a sad, sad day for everybody [when he passes], especially us guys who grow up idolising him.
“You remember how well he played for Scotland and Rangers. Some of the saves he pulled off made a huge contribution to them winning games and winning titles.
“For me that was one of the reasons I thought I could make a difference going in goal because I could help the team there.
"I couldn’t run about very well but to see somebody like Andy pulling off the saves he did, yeah he was a huge inspiration to everybody growing up.”
As Gordon was taking his first steps in the game, Goram was already at the peak of his powers as he became a legend at Ibrox and staked his claim to be labelled their greatest ever keeper.
The man who can challenge him for that honour, Allan McGregor, is another who was inspired by the point-blank stops, the remarkable reactions and those famous moments that can still be replayed in the mind all these years on.
Gordon said: “Yeah, [he was] absolutely vital [to Rangers]. Not only that but a huge character as well and a real leader.
“The time when he was there was a great time for Rangers, they were so successful and a massive part of that was down to him.
“Potentially all these years later, myself, David Marshall and Allan McGregor coming through.
“We were the guys who were watching him and taking tips and trying to become goalkeepers ourselves.
“So that will be a little bit of the legacy that he has left behind and hopefully we can inspire the next generation.”
In Gordon, McGregor and Marshall, Goram will leave quite the lineage and those three - each revered at domestic and international level in their own right - will now act as the standard-bearers for the next generation to follow.
Goram collected 43 Scotland caps during a glittering career that returned five League Championships, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups and his exploits reached far beyond the national boundaries as he earned respect from across the game.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Gordon said when asked about Goram and Jim Leighton changing the perception of Scottish goalkeepers in England. “Hopefully between the three of us we have managed to carry that on.
"There was a huge change, both guys went down to the Premier League and showed at different times they could it down there as well.
“You can’t praise them highly enough for the careers they had. Jim Leighton 91 caps, I am still a fair few short of that so I will keep going and see how many I can get."
The passing of Goram will be a time of sadness, of profound loss. Yet it should also be one of celebration as a man responsible for so many wonderful moments is remembered and revered.
His fate and his fight - coming so soon after the deaths of Walter Smith and Jimmy Bell - has hit Rangers hard. Goram has, though, lived to see McGregor become an Ibrox idol in his own right.
Gordon said: “Very rarely [have I crossed paths with Andy]. Allan knows him very well with the Rangers connection and gave him a little bit of coaching and advice from time to time. I think they probably trained together in the early days at Rangers.
“You can see that in Allan’s game that he has taken so much from Andy, very similar in styles and stature. Hopefully he stays on and we can see him perform for a little bit longer.
“Andy started that at Rangers, McGregor carried it on and we will see what the future brings but it has certainly been a good time for goalkeeping.”
It is now up to Gordon to continue those good times. With McGregor and Marshall retired from the international arena, the Hearts captain is the last man standing between the sticks.
Ironically, his mentor at Hampden is another former Rangers hero. With the help of Chris Woods, Gordon will be a key part of Steve Clarke's plans for some time to come.
Gordon said: “Chris has been really good, he is so thorough and he works us hard. He’s got great experience and he’s so calm and talks about all the situations we might find ourselves in and he’s a good addition to the staff.
“I remember him as a player in the early 1990’s at Rangers before Andy Goram came in.
“I have spoken to him about it and he tells me about things that happened in his career. I was very young but I still remember it.”
