ON Wednesday night, Scott Bain arrived at Parkhead to sign for Celtic on loan as a Dundee player while wearing a Hibernian training kit. A confusing set of circumstances, but with the midnight deadline fast approaching, the goalkeeper wasn’t about to risk his dream move by popping home for a quick change.

With that cleared up, Bain will now be looking to get some clarity on his long-term future by impressing Brendan Rodgers between now and the end of the season to land a permanent deal with the Scottish champions.

One thing that seems certain is that Bain will never pull on a Dundee jersey again. It has been quite a turnaround for the 26-year-old, who after falling out with Dens Park manager Neil McCann, found himself training on his own and frozen out of first-team football just a matter of weeks ago.

“Looking back, it’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my whole football career because I’ve ended up here,” said Bain. “It was a tough couple of months at Dundee but I think it has stood me in good stead mentally. It toughened me up and showed me how strong I could be as a character to get through that. I was delighted to sign for Hibs and it’s another step to now join Celtic.”

It doesn’t seem to make sense that a team fighting for their lives in the bottom half of the league table could afford to so easily disregard a goalkeeper who has subsequently signed for two of the biggest clubs in the country, and Bain feels the management at Dundee are biting their own nose off to spite their face by forcing his exit from the club.

“Yes, I think so,” Bain agreed. “It just shows these two clubs believe in me. When the champions are interested in me it just shows the qualities I can bring to a club.

“I don’t think I’ll be back there [at Dundee]. My focus is here, on loan for the rest of the season. I’ll do whatever I can to make this a permanent move.”

As candid as Bain is, you get the impression there is a lot more he would like to say about his fallout with McCann and Dundee, but with the dispute now in the hands of the players' union, it may be a while before we hear his full side of the story.

For now, as tough as this period has been, he is focusing on taking as many positives from the experience as he can.

“There were definitely a few points driving up to Dundee from Edinburgh, where I was like, 'just turn back and go home',” he said. "I just knew I had to grind it out and do what was best for myself. There were a few lonely days, where I worked hard by myself. They have stood me in good stead and I knew something would come.”

Hold on, how does a goalkeeper, who needs to keep his reactions razor sharp, train by himself?

“In the gym with a tennis ball,” Bain laughed. “I never lost any faith I was going to get something. I know my abilities and I knew there was interest from Hibs. It's quite mad that I was on the bench for Hibs at Parkhead five days ago and now I'm here. The situation I was put in has definitely put me in a better position mentally to come here and deal with this.”

While Bain could hardly believe his luck as he reported to training at Celtic’s Lennoxtown training facility for the first time on Thursday, it is his humble beginnings, rather than the last few weeks at Dundee, that have him pinching himself that he now gets to go to work there every day.

“I was on a building site eight years ago,” he said. "Those days at Alloa were fantastic. I was part-time on the building site for the first two years there. I was just labouring my first year, my second year I was doing a bit more in terms of building kits for houses and I really enjoyed it, but I think I'll maybe enjoy this a wee bit more.

“I started off in the Third Division, we won that, then we won promotion to the Second. Then when we were in the old First Division I quit my job and just played part-time and really backed myself to earn a full-time team.

“I was lucky that Paul Hartley went to Dundee and wanted to take me. I appreciate everything he's done for me. He really backed me when I went to Dundee and that stood me in good stead. When you are younger, you just need to play as many games as possible and it will really help me.

"Wherever you go, whatever level, you just need to have a good attitude and work as hard as you possibly can. My attitude was maybe questioned at Dundee, but you don't come from the Third Division in Scotland to be at Celtic if you've got a poor attitude.

“It's just another step, another way, another chance for me to prove I deserve to be here, and I'll put in the hours and do as much as I possibly can to show that.”