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Gordon looks forward to hearing that music

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Craig GordonAfter eight years of waiting Craig Gordon is within touching distance of reaching the Champions League.

The  Scotland keeper put in an impressive display for Celtic away to Maribor- in just his third appearance in three years- to keep the Slovenian champions at bay as Celtic earned a 1-1 draw.

In 2006 Hearts celebrated reaching the Champions League qualifiers but with Gordon in goals an early ko fro AEK Athens ended any hopes of the club reaching the group stages.

On Tuesday night at Celtic Park the keeper will get the chance to complete that journey knowing that a clean sheet ensures Celtic of a place in the draw for the group stage.

“That’s the first time I’ve been on the field and heard that music,” he admitted after the first leg in Maribor. “When Hearts played AEK Athens in 2006 it was a round or two before the play-off stage and the music didn’t get played.

“It did register for me and just hammered home how big a game it was for me after everything that has happened. After being out for two years you do wonder if it will happen for you, so that was a special moment.”Gordon’s career look done and dusted last season as he spent his time training at Sevco, appearing on Sportscene and helping out at Dumbarton but he never gave up on returning to the game.

In  three weeks time he could be playing against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich to help ease away the pain and frustrations of his injury nightmare.

“I feel good and I’ve not had any bad reaction,” Gordon explained. ” I want to keep on playing games and what I need to do is just tailor the training in between matches. I’ve been ready and feeling good before every game in case the manager called on me.

“I don’t think the injury issue will ever go away from me. There’s never going to be a time when I’m 100 per cent clear but I’ve known that for a while and it doesn’t make any difference to me. I might never get to 100 per cent but what I can say is that right now it is getting close.

“I can understand why people wonder about my fitness and that will probably hang about for a wee while yet. I’m only a few games into my comeback and no one should get carried away.

“I’ve still got a long way to go before I feel all this is behind me and this chapter has passed. There were a few times in the last two years when I thought I might not get back but I’m a stubborn individual and I kept trying different treatments.

“As soon as I heard of a new one I was happy to go with it and try it out, at least that way I knew that I had done everything possible to try and get back. A combination of treatments and my own sheer stubbornness has got me the position I’m at right now.”

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