MOST boys spend Christmas unwrapping the boots, bouncing the ball off the turkey dinner or hunching in front of a screen playing a football game.

They dream of becoming a footballer.

It can be argued that Craig Gordon has had that dream twice - once as boy and once as a grown and bruised man - and achieved both spectacularly. The lad who played in goal for Currie Boys' Club was signed by Hearts at the beginning of a new century but, 12 years later, looked to have succumbed to injury after a £9m move to Sunderland.

His career seemed over as knee and arm troubles took hold but Gordon dared to dream again as he entered his thirties.

"I can't remember what I was doing last Christmas; I probably had some time off,'' he said reflecting on a period that seems placed in another era. "I was trying to get fit so it was probably quite easy to take a little bit of time over Christmas and New Year and spend it with the family.

"I hadn't even started football training at that point. It was just gym work and rehab with Stevie Walker at Rangers. I hadn't been out on the field to test things and see if anything was possible at that point.''

The local gym was his refuge and his route back to football. One year on, the ghost of Christmas past has become the No.1 at Celtic and can anticipate a leading role in any title victory, a League Cup semi-final against Rangers, a Europa League match against Internazionale and a tilt at regaining his international place.

"If someone had said to me last Christmas that I could achieve all I have this season, I'd have said they were being a bit far-fetched,'' said Gordon who will celebrate his 32nd birthday on Hogmanay.

"This time last year, I hadn't even got to the point of going out and training. It's been quite a turnaround. Did I think it would happen? Probably not, but it's certainly something I wanted to make happen.''

Gordon had first to become fit and then to pick up the techniques, the positioning and the sheer eye and hand speed of the professional goalkeeper. "It does take a while to get back into it. The speed of everything is a surprise,'' he said. "Every little thing you have to think about it. You take a bit longer to do things.

"There are times when you feel you can't make a save and everything on target is a goal. You maybe aren't in the right position but if you keep at it, the natural ability and work you have done years before does start to come back.''

Gordon has made an extraordinary recovery: playing brilliantly for Celtic, particularly in Europe. ''It's starting to feel like I've never been away but I was out for such a long period of time it is hard not to think about it. There is always a next goal and always something to strive for. There's always a next target.

"What is that? To keep playing as many games as possible. To finish the season they was I've started and maintain the levels I have set.''

He hopes to be accompanied on this journey by Virgil Van Dijk, the central defender, who is certain to be courted by English clubs in the transfer window. "He can do everything as a centre-half; he is quick, a good passer and can score goals,'' said Gordon. "I've never played with any centre-half with the kind of football ability he has: the ability to start attacks and play a pass. We managed to keep a hold of him in the summer and, if we can do that again, I would be happy. Keeping Virgil is almost like a new signing every transfer window for us.''

Gordon's time away from playing led to him taking badges and helping out at Dumbarton. It was an experience that carried lessons. "If I'd tried everything and couldn't play again, that was something I'd maybe have had to look at,'' he said. "It was good to see what goes on behind the scenes and what managers need to deal with. It was a good insight and it was an interesting time. I'm not sure I could handle all the stuff the managers have to put up with, that's maybe something for the future.''

He has, though, learned from a succession of managers, including Roy Keane with whom he had a fall-out of, well, Keano proportions when the Irishman was in charge of Sunderland.

Keane speaks with regret in his latest autobiography of having criticised the goalkeeper too vehemently when he let in a free-kick at a Sunderland training session but Gordon has no bitterness over the incident and was gracious in his comments about his former manager.

"I haven't read it but I have seen the bit where he mentions me,'' said Gordon of the book. "He talks about one particular training session but I didn't actually think that much about it. Maybe he was unfair, but it didn't affect me too much. I thought Roy Keane was a good manager and I still think he can be a good manager.''

He added: "He has a lot of good attributes. Maybe sometimes it's a bit aggressive but it's the right message. He knows what he is talking about and I think he will still be involved in football.''

The final message was intriguing. "Could he be at Celtic one day? Who knows?" said Gordon.

It may appear highly unlikely but, then again what would be the odds on someone becoming a professional footballer twice over?