Craig Gordon was warned that he faced paralysis or death if he sought treatment for the neck injury which jeopardised his participation in the World Cup finals.
The Scotland goalkeeper consulted a spine specialist after a slipped disc in his deck pinched a nerve and caused weakness down his arm.
Warned of the life-changing risks he faced if he sought to fix the issue Gordon now admits that he would have retired at the end of last season but for the lure of playing three games against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
The out of contract Hearts veteran will be 43 years and 162 days old when the tournament kicks off tomorrow, the oldest player amongst the 48 teams competing in America, Canada and Mexico.
Plagued by injury throughout his long career he tells a new BBC documentary of the dilemma posed by the neck issue before he flew to America.
“There was definitely a worry it was something that was going to be longer term, not only in football, but also for the rest of my life.”
Recently he became a father to another baby son and addressing the choice he faced he added: "Continuing [trying to play] or whether I need to look at the rest of my life and think, 'No, I need to be in a good enough state to play with the kids, to make sure they're getting brought up with a dad that can play with them and be active and do the things that they want to do'."
Asked what he might have done had there been no World Cup he admits: "I think I'd have probably called it quits at the end of last season.”
Speaking at Scotland’s pre World Cup training camp in Charlotte yesterday the former Celtic and Sunderland shot stopper claimed that he is mentally preparing himself to be Scotland’s number one keeper.
Locked in a battle with Nottingham Forest keeper Angus Gunn for the gloves against Haiti in Group C opener in Boston in the early hours of Sunday morning, neither of the contenders for the number one shirt have been told which one of them will start.
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Gordon played just 225 minutes of club football during Hearts’ push for the SPFL title, while Gunn’s move to Forest last summer resulted in a mere 45 minutes of competitive action. Liam Kelly, the third goalkeeper in the squad, was equally bench bound at Rangers.
Gordon still thinks of himself as a natural first choice keeper, adding: “You have to have that mindset to prepare properly, as if you are going to play and you are going to be the number one. That is no different regardless.
“I think everybody has to think like that. I would like to think the other guys in the squad think the same thing.
“That doesn’t mean to say that if the other guys play you don’t support them, because absolutely we do. This is a country effort, this is everybody together.
“I think that’s what every young kid wants. To play at a World Cup it’s the biggest tournament you can be involved in. As a youngster that’s something I probably always dreamed of doing. To be able to say I’ve done that would definitely be something you’d carry with you for the rest of your life.”
The first choice for all three games at Euro 2024 Gunn was 90 minutes in the 4-0 thrashing of Bolivia in the final warm up game in New Jersey and looks favourite to start against the Haitians in Foxborough.
Unable to shed any light on the matter Gordon said: “There has been no indication whatsoever.
“That’s nothing new. We’ve got a few days left of training to try and impress and show that we’re the one to take that position. That goes for all of us and I’m no different.
“I’ll train as well as I possibly can over the next few days and see who the manager picks.
“I always want to strive for the best I possibly can. Of course I want to play. It is a bit of a triumph that I’ve managed to make it here. Perhaps when I look back that will be the overriding emotion. If that was to happen I would still feel proud of myself, of course.”
