ON-LOAN Celtic keeper Scott Bain will fight to keep the No.1 position after his dramatic debut in the 3-2 win at Ibrox yesterday.
The 26-year-old shotstopper was signed on a temporary deal from Dundee as emergency cover following Craig Gordon’s knee injury against Hibs on January 27.
Bain was thrust into action at the weekend after Dorus de Vries sustained an ankle injury in training.
The Edinburgh-born goalie discovered he was playing when he received an 8am text message yesterday to tell him he was in.
He said: “When you join a club the size of Celtic, you think: ‘What an opportunity’.
“I just wanted to show my talent and my belief – then you never know what can happen.
“It’s a funny old game. I was on the bench for Hibs at Celtic Park when Craig got injured.
“You just need one thing to happen and it can kick-start your career.
“It’s a great chance, but I’ll go in next week and work hard and stay humble, as I’ve always done.
“However, I’ll savour this for the next two days. This is the biggest game – and the biggest win – I’ve ever had.
“The scenes at the end were unbelievable. I’ve never seen the level of fans like that. I just wanted to savour and enjoy it.
“I don’t normally think about taking it all in. This was special, though, the way we won the match.
“We were behind twice and then a man down, so this is one I will definitely look back on at the end of my career and think: ‘That was an unbelievable debut’.
“I just wanted to take a breath and enjoy it. We have a couple of days off now, but I will come in on Wednesday and work hard.
“It’s been a strange season for me. I hadn’t played a game since October, but I’ve been working hard and I will keep doing that.”
His remarkable goal-line save in the fading moments from Alfredo Morelos at Ibrox is one he will savour.
He added: “I’d saved the first shot and I looked up and saw the ball going to him. I just thought: ‘Aw, naw!’
“Then luckily has hit the post and I was able to scramble and catch it before it went over the line. I was expecting him to score, but I knew I had to get up just in case anything it happened.
“Luckily for me, it hit the post and rolled along the line. It was a massive moment in the game, but the way we handled going down to 10 men was amazing.
“I saw the same up at Pittodrie when we lost Mikael Lustig against Aberdeen.
“The composure, the calmness, belief and togetherness in this squad to dig your mate out is why we were good enough to get the result.
“The adrenalin was pumping. Before the game, it was about staying calm and not letting the atmosphere overwhelm me, especially when we went a goal down.”
Bain’s temporary deal will run out at the end of the season when his contract at Dens Park also expires.
It is likely Brendan Rodgers, who was “delighted” with the performance of the debutant, will move to make the transfer permanent.
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