Records are meant to be broken, but in Craig Gordon’s case he would prefer it if they were forgotten instead. As the most expensive British goalkeeper, Gordon realises that the £9 million that Sunderland paid Heart of Midlothian two months ago could prove to be a personal millstone as much as a football milestone.

It is the sort of tag that prompts increased effort more than pride. The first time that Gordon flaps at a shot, concedes an own goal or aims a kick at fresh air, his eyewatering fee and status as his club’s record signing will be held against him. It is with gratitude – but only modest satisfaction - that neither has been mentioned in recent weeks. Sunderland’s form may not have been blissful, but the Scotland goalkeeper, 24, has been solid.

Any Barclays Premier League match has the potential to unravel a meticulously constructed reputation – Sunday’s trip to Arsenal has a daunting look to it – which is why the statistics attached to Gordon’s name ensure a love of hard work and desire for anonymity. A mistake would lead to barbs that Roy Keane, the Sunderland manager, had wasted his club’s money.

“I don’t see that I had any option other than to put it [the fee] to the back of my mind,” Gordon said yesterday at a promotional event for Under Armour, the leading American sportswear company. “It’s a lot of money, of course it is, but that’s the way the market is going these days, not just in this country but in all the top leagues.

“It’s something that the players cannot control. It’s between the clubs –it’s about what they value you at. It’s up to them. It’s not something that any player can do anything about. I made a conscious decision just to forget about it and write it off when I joined.

“I’m sure if I went out and played poorly the fee would get mentioned. I am well aware that, in those circumstances, it’s going to stick around. At the moment I haven’t had it too much and I see that as a good thing, but really it’s not something that concerns me too much.”

Does his place in the record books not provide him with the slightest pleasure? “I don’t think I can afford to think about it like that,” he said. “I’ve just got to keep my feet firmly on the ground. Things will be written and said, but there is nothing I can do about it. I’ll just concentrate on things I can control, like my performances, and go out and do what I can for the team.”

Sunderland have amassed eight points from as many matches on their return to the top flight and are fifteenth, but while they lack experience and guile, their position is not yet a source of trepidation. With Keane as manager and Niall Quinn, the chairman, offering financial backing and building relationships with supporters, there is momentum behind the club.

“It has been a decent start rather than a great start,” Gordon said. “But the signs are that we’re moving in the right direction. You always think you could have a few more points, but that’s the beauty of the Premier League. If you’re not at 100 per cent in games, you won’t win. I think we’ve done OK, but there’s still a lot to come from this team. We can still improve.”

Playing in Europe for Hearts and making 26 appearances for Scotland have minimised the trauma of adapting to a more competitive league.

“The experience of that has held me in good stead for the start of the Premier League,” Gordon said. “There are players here who have had many millions of pounds paid for them and some of the best players in the world. Every team you play against are going to have one or two stars who can hurt you and I suppose that is the main difference between the two leagues.”