CRAIG GORDON admitted to getting shirty after Celtic’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad.
The international keeper refused to exchange his jersey as he rated it his top keepsake from the Champions League campaign.
Gordon, 31, missed the Group C kick-off with Dorus de Vries, newly signed from Nottingham Forest, taking over the No.1 spot for the game against Barcelona at the Nou Camp in September.
The Dutchman conceded seven goals as Lionel Messi and Co ran amok during the Hoops’ heaviest-ever defeat in European competition.
However, Gordon was back in place by the time Pep Guardiola and his expensively-assembled outfit turned up in Glasgow for matchday two a fortnight later and made an incredible late save in the 3-3 stalemate.
He remained in place throughout the section and his goalkeeper’s top from the Etihad will now become a treasured memento.
Gordon said: “I have one or two shirts from the European campaign, but the most important one is this one.
“I waited a long, long time to play with the Champions League emblem on the sleeves of my strip.“So, it means a lot to me to keep that one, to have something to show from playing at what is the top level in club football.
”This is where you want to play. I have loved it. I enjoyed trying to play the way we wanted to play and I think we will get even better – if we get back into the Champions League – because of the experience we have had this season.
“There is a real collective. We are working and performing as a team and I think if we could turn one or two them into wins, then who knows?
“We are pretty satisfied with how we conducted ourselves. There were two obvious disappointments, against Barcelona over there and then against Borussia Monchengladbach at Celtic Park, but, overall, we feel that we have shown we deserve to be playing at this level.”Gordon admitted his initial reaction when Kelechi Iheanacho equalised for City was that he ought not to have been beaten by the shot.
He added: “It is not a great area for a goalkeeper to lose a goal. When it goes high like that it is difficult to keep it out.
“I felt I reacted quickly, but I didn’t get enough on it and that really came down to how much pace was on the ball.
“They are quality players and when they get chances then they take them, but I think the positive thing for us that we created plenty of chances of our own.“I think we more than matched Manchester City and we were pretty dominant at times, especially in the second period.
“We have had two good performances against City and I think we are certainly a better team now than when we first started the campaign.“We have gained a lot of confidence and that will stand us in good stead.
“The manager has changed things and put in place aspects of our game that have made us better.
“He has given us confidence and we feel as though we have set our standard high. We have drawn our last two away games and I think that is something new.”
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