SCOTT BAIN was always certain that Celtic would enter the transfer market for a new goalkeeper this summer.
But despite Visilis Barkas arriving from AEK Athens for a fee of £5million, the Scotland international was quietly confident that he could fight his way back into Neil Lennon’s plans.
Bain has started Celtic’s last four games after regaining the starting jersey from Barkas, who has so far failed to impress since arriving in Scotland.
And as Bain prepares to take his place between the sticks at Fir Park, the 28-year-old admits he is in a good place, despite results on the pitch not going as well as he would have liked.
“I knew the club would be looking to bring in a goalkeeper in the summer,” He told Herald and Times Sport.
“I'll be honest, I came back with no expectations of playing given where I was the year before. I just kept my head down and worked away, waiting for an opportunity.
“In training, as it's always been here, myself and Vasilis push each other and work to the best of our ability.
“I wouldn't say I feel like number one. I feel physically and mentally that I'm in a better place. I'm maturing on the pitch and off it as well. I'm only starting to mature now at 28 off the pitch!
“I don't see myself as the number one here. If I get asked to play, I'll do it to the best of my ability for the team. I'll always keep myself ready.”
Bain heads into Celtic's Scottish Premiership clash against Motherwell after conceding four goals against Sparta Prague on Thursday night.
Being on the end of a result of that magnitude is never ideal for a goalkeeper, but he is certain that he and his teammates can bounce back at Fir Park this afternoon.
He said: “Obviously, there's disappointment. The players feel they've let themselves down in terms of the ability they have and what they're capable of showing.
“But we're at Celtic and you don't have a chance to dwell on bad results. The games come thick and fast here and every one is important. So we need to move on to the next one.
“There's pressure in every game at Celtic. I haven't played in a game here yet where there isn't pressure to win. Whether you've won the league or it's the first game of the season – you need to win at Celtic.
“That pressure is just built into the fabric of this club. The players have dealt with that over the last few years unbelievably well. We know what it's like to be a Celtic player. So it's nothing new to us.”
He continued: “There have been obstacles put in front of this team before, like negative results or speculation away from the club. But the boys here just keep going, they keep bouncing back.
“They never waiver or lose their belief in it. Football's not rosy all the time, you're going to get difficult periods. You can't expect a team to win every game, you have to take the good with the bad.
“Celtic fans and this club have been blessed with a lot of good times recently. Our job is to try and keep things going.”
Bain has experienced a wealth of difficult moments in his career before, but defeat against Motherwell would be sure to rank amongst the highest of them all.
On his previous pressure points, he explained: “Everyone has their own journey or path. I went to the lower leagues to play which can be difficult.
“But then I look at someone like James Forrest who's been in the limelight as a Celtic player since he was 17 years old. He's had to deal with pressure for that length of time, which tells you a great deal about his character.
“You can't compare my journey to anyone else's. But when you get to Celtic, you need to understand that it's part of the job.
“For any young player, when you're told by a club that they don't think you're good enough, that's obviously a difficult period, as it was for me. A lot of young players give up school or work to pursue a career in football.
“So to be told you're not good enough and you're left hanging about with no skills or qualities – that's tough. But for myself I had a lot of luck with Paul Hartley getting the job at Alloa. My confidence never waned that I could play at a high level and make a living out of football.”
Asked if defeat against Motherwell is unthinkable, Bain added: “I wouldn't say a defeat is unthinkable because it's still early in the season.
“We'll just go into the game knowing that if we apply ourselves properly and play to the ability we've got, we'll win it.”
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