Gordon admitted retirement was "definitely under discussion" with his family but says helping to end Scotland's long wait for a place at the World Cup means the effort to stay in shape for another season has "already been well worth it."

The keeper, who began his career at Tynecastle and returned in 2020, missed the start of term through injury and is currently back-up to Alexander Schwolow, 33.

This has led to speculation he may seek a January loan to get game time before the World Cup. However, McInnes is eager to keep such an experienced player and Gordon says he is content with the situation.

"I'm not going to be pushing for it," he said of a possible departure. "There's still a lot of time left in the season. I feel that I'm just one step away from getting an opportunity to play here, and then it'll be up to me to try and take that.

"We've got a chance to really push on in the second half of the season and see where it can take us. So it's kind of in the balance.

"I can't 100% guarantee that it won't happen, but at the same time, there's a lot to look forward to here. I do feel as if I'm still playing an important role within the squad.

"I need to be ready and show [McInnes] in training that if he does want to make that switch that I'm ready to play. That's where we're at. There's no discussions on anything more than that.

"He doesn't want me to leave on loan. It's up to me to make sure that I'm doing everything that I can to get the opportunity when it comes about."