EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — At age 39, goalkeeper Craig Gordon was voted player of the year in Scotland for a record third time on Wednesday.
The Scotland and Hearts player was picked again by journalists 16 years after he first won the award in his previous spell with the Edinburgh club.
Gordon kept five clean sheets in six World Cup qualifying games this season to help Scotland advance to the playoffs. The Scots host Ukraine on June 1 and the winner plays Wales four days later for a place at the tournament in Qatar.
He has captained Hearts to third place in the Scottish Premiership, and qualification for the Europa League playoff round next season, and to the Scottish Cup final where it will meet Rangers on May 21.
Gordon sat out two full seasons due to serious knee injuries a decade ago and won his second player of the year award in 2015 for his comeback season with Celtic.
He won the soccer writers’ vote ahead of Celtic’s Callum McGregor and Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Rangers captain James Tavernier. The award was first presented in 1965.
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