IT wasn’t so long ago that Scott Bain was training on his own in the Dundee gym, throwing a tennis ball off a wall and catching it just to keep his reflexes sharp. Now, he is Celtic’s first-choice goalkeeper and stands on the brink of a tilt at establishing himself as Scotland’s number one.

One man who never doubted his ability to make it at the top level, even during his period in the football wilderness after a fallout with Dens Park manager Neil McCann, was his goalkeeping coach Bobby Geddes.

The Dundee legend says he was blown away by Bain when he walked in the door from Alloa and knew straight away that the sky was the limit for the precocious talent if he applied himself. And that was never going to be an issue.

“It was just a matter of time until he came through that tricky period with Dundee, although a wee bit of luck played its part too,” Geddes said.

“He went to Hibs and didn’t play much, but as a footballer player you need that bit of luck sometimes, and the opportunity came for him to go to Celtic.

“He certainly showed in his time with us that he was a top-class goalkeeper, and he has kicked on further since he has gone to Celtic. For Scotland, I don’t know who the number one will be, but he is certainly in with a real chance of establishing himself. If it is Bainy, I would have no qualms about him at all.

“When he was at the club, my feeling was that he could play wherever he wanted to. The sky was the limit, and he has shown that he not only had the belief but the ability to reach the level he is at now. And I think he can stay there.

“Bainy has got tremendous ability. He surprised me with how good he was if I’m being honest when he first came in from Alloa. He impressed right away. His handling was good, he had really quick feet.

“He took about six months to break into the team, getting in when Kyle Letheren got injured during the warm-up at Motherwell. Kyle had been doing really well and had been called up by Wales, but he was patient and when his chance came he took it really well.”

There may have been many who were surprised by how seamlessly Bain has handled the weight of expectation that now sits on his shoulders as Celtic goalkeeper. He was thrown in for his debut on an Old Firm match at Ibrox after all, but Geddes knew that Bain’s self-belief was never going to be an issue.

It is that confidence that the 27-year-old has in his own ability, coupled with his adroitness with a ball at his feet, that made Geddes certain Celtic was a perfect fit for his former pupil.

“He is confident in his own ability, which you need to be if you are going to make it at the top level,” he said.

“That’s especially the case when you’re a goalkeeper, because you are going to make errors at some point in your career or have a period where you will struggle, so you need that confidence to bring you through that..

“He was also good with the ball at his feet. One of Neil McCann’s traits was that he wanted to play out from the back, and Bainy was a big part of it. It was one of the things that stood out when he first came, and we knew Bainy would be very comfortable with that. He was always comfortable with the ball at his feet.

“The type of character he is, I felt that with the way he plays from the back and with the belief he has in himself, he would be comfortable going into that environment at one of the Old Firm clubs. Brendan Rodgers and Stevie Woods must take a lot of credit for the way they have handled him and the way he has settled in.”

Getting the gloves for Celtic and Scotland may be challenges that Bain has conquered, but keeping them is another thing altogether, especially with a former custodian of both roles in Craig Gordon breathing down his neck to regain those positions.

But for Geddes, there is more chance of Bain’s game going up yet another level than there is of him letting his standards drop.

“There is still a lot of improvement in him,” he said. “To carry on playing at the level he is at with Celtic, then he is going to have to keep working at his game.

“I’m sure that the fans will be very unforgiving if his standards dip, and at Celtic, you always have fierce competition for the jersey.

“Craig Gordon will be desperate to get back into the side, so he is going to have to keep on his toes to keep his place.”