The story of Vasilios Barkas

Vasilios Barkas returns to Celtic Park on Thursday, four and a half years after his last appearance at the ground.  That 1-1 draw with Midtjylland was our first home game in front of fans in 16 months, with 9,000 allowed to attend.  It was also Vasilios’ only appearance for Celtic in front of a home crowd.  The goal conceded led to a curtailment of further chances for the keeper.

He was awful at Celtic but it would be a mistake to assume that is an accurate assessment of his abilities.  His reputation blossomed since moving to Utrecht, where he has remained first choice for over three years.  He is better than any of us remember and will do his best to demonstrate this on Thursday.

Barkas arrived at Celtic late July 2020, when unnecessary travel was prohibited, including trips to scout a keeper.  Fraser Forster had just completed an incredible season and had returned to parent club Southampton, who agreed in principle to a return to Celtic the next season, when they had secured backfill.

Fraser told the club and his pal Craig Gordon he was also keen on a return.  As a consequence, Craig, who was out of contract, rejected a Celtic deal and went to Hearts for less than half the money Celtic offered, in order to play first team football.  A week later, Southampton got cover and green-lit the deal for Fraser.  Fraser, though, thought he had a bite at Chelsea, so backed out.  These events lost Celtic a known keeper and cost Craig a lot of money.

No travel, no fresh scouting, where do we go?  Barkas played for the AEK Athens team who eliminated Celtic from Champions League qualification two years earlier.  The deal was done.

Vasilios arrived in Scotland alone, unable to speak the language and not permitted to socialise.  Players were not even allowed to eat together, they had breakfast and lunch in their cars at Lennoxtown.  After training, he went home, and cooked and cleaned for himself.  If you anything about young footballers, those tasks are not familiar territory.  Barkas was one of millions of desperately isolated people that year.

He was not alone suffering this way at Celtic that season.  Others – who travelled up from England – fared even worse personally, but there is no hiding place between the sticks and Vasilios was exposed.  Celtic adhered scrupulously to the rules that season.  This had a cost which not every club was prepared to pay.  Some believe rules are too taxing.

I don’t know if he will suffer some mild form of PTSD when he walks out the tunnel on Thursday evening, or if he will rise to the occasion, fortified by his subsequence successes.  Best of luck to him, either way.

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