Lucasz Zaluska will start the season as Celtic’s first choice keeper.
The former Dundee United stopper has been linked with a move back to Poland since the turn of the year but will be between the sticks when Celtic face Hibs at Easter Road a week on Sunday.
Neil Lennon has been linked with a number of keepers from Shay Given to Stipe Pletikosa but has been impressed by Zaluska in pre-season.
Last season’s first choice keeper Fraser Forster has returned to Newcastle with the Geordies unimpressed by Celtic’s £1.5m bid to bring Forster to Celtic on a permanent basis.
Zaluska lost his place in the Celtic side after the nightmare 4-0 defeat from Utrecht in the Europa League but was faultless in two appearances against Rangers in the Scottish Cup after Forster was red carded.
Lennon has observed the keeper closely in pre-season and believes that his confidence has returned
The Celtic boss explained: “He’s in a far better place mentally than this time last year.
“He went through a period where he wasn’t quite right. But he’s physically a lot better too. Now he looks a lot more assured and confident.
“It was a step up when Artur Boruc left and he didn’t seem to handle that as well as we would have liked him to.
“But I had no qualms about using him at any stage last season and I would have no qualms with starting the season with Lukasz in goal.”
Celtic have also been linked with Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon but with the Scotland star out of action due to injury until October Lennon won’t be getting in touch with Steve Bruce.
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I know you can make people be heroes or villains on video, but the compilation i watched of new trialist Pletikosa on youtube didn’t inspire me in the least, but everyone on a trial deserves their chance.
IF Zaluska starts the season as our number 1 choice…then someone at Celtic Park needs a right good kick in the nuts. We knew that Forster was only on loan, didn’t overly impress during his time with us and SHOULD have had at least 2/3 decent keepers lined up. Instead we are scratching about looking for hand me downs, Pletikosa WAS decent some years ago but clearly not wanted by Spartak Moscow NOR by Spurs who have a diddy in goals…so that speaks volumes about how highly they rate him.
Are we back in the dark ages where we look for cheap / reserve keepers like Williams, Latchford, or have we failed to learn that a quality keeper WINS big games, titles etc.
Zaluska has never inspired confidence, Forster failed to inspire confidence in big games…it’s a KEY position – get it sorted.