Gordon Fired Up By Critics

Photo by Jeff Holmes

Hamilton defender Ziggy Gordon claims the doubters tipping Accies for the drop have only fired his team up.

The New Douglas Park side face Ross County in Dingwall this weekend.

The bookmakers believe both sides are amongst the leading contenders to lose their top-flight status, with Hamilton 4-1 to finish last and the Staggies also strongly-backed to be relegated at 9-2.

But right-back Gordon is determined to prove them wrong.

He said: "When I hear people saying the likes of us and County are favourites for relegation I just think, 'Brilliant, that's good motivation'.

"These comments are no different to what happened last year. We did terrifically well at the start but people were still predicting we would go down.

"So these kind of comments are nothing to us. We are just looking forward to the season. We want to push on and accomplish the kind of things we did last season."

Two separate knee injuries cost Gordon more than three months of action last term and the 22-year-old admits it is an experience he does not want to repeat.

"Throughout my career I've had relatively few injury concerns," he said.

"So to be out for so long towards the end of the season when I missed six weeks was troubling for me.

"Being injured is more difficult than you think. You watch guys moping about on the sidelines and you think, 'What's wrong with them? They are just injured - they can put their feet up'.

"But it's not like that all. I hated every minute of it and I worked so hard to get fit again, even if it was only to get back a day or a week early."