Craig Gordon’s arrival at Celtic completed a unique transfer saga with the ringleaders of the Riccarton Three all making the journey from Tynecastle to Celtic Park.
Back in October 2006 Hearts were in turmoil as the full impact of the Vladimir Romov regime shook the club with the post of managerial merely ceremonial as one little known Eastern European coach after another complied with their masters wishes.
The early promise under George Burley the previous season was in the distant past although the Edinburgh side had finished the season in second place above Rangers (IL).
Three Scotland internationalists had witnessed the destruction of the club from within and although the Scottish Cup had been won by defeating Gretna five months earlier the players could no longer remain silent.
With Gordon and Paul Hartley sitting on either side, Steven Pressley read out a statement that was the beginning of the end of his Tynecastle career.
“I have tried, along with the coaching staff and certain colleagues, to implement the correct values and discipline, but it has become an impossible task,” Pressley said.
“There is only so much coaching staff, a captain and certain colleagues can do without the full backing, direction and coherence of the manager and those running the football club.
“While publicly I have expressed the needs for unity, behind the scenes I have made my concerns abundantly clear.
“The last two years have been testing for the players and together they have faced a number of challenges.
“I have worked hard to have retained unity, however, due to circumstances, morale understandably is not good and there is significant unrest in the dressing-room.”
At the end of December Pressley moved to Celtic on a free transfer, by the end of January Paul Hartley joined him in a £1m deal as Gordon Strachan’s side clinched the double with a Scottish Cup Final win over Dunfermline.
Seven years later Gordon has made the journey west via a £9m stop off at Sunderland and some training tints at Boghead and Murray Park.
While his former team-mates prepare to manage Dundee and Coventry into the new campaign Gordon will fly the flag for the Riccarton Three as he attempts to make his mark at Celtic.