Scott Bain insists he wasn’t surprised to lose his place in the Scotland national team. The goalkeeper was hoping to add to his three caps during Scotland’s recent double header against Cyprus and Belgium but was dropped by new manager Steve Clarke.
The former Kilmarnock boss instead chose ex-Hoops keeper David Marshall as his number one. And Bain says he saw the change coming the minute the original squad was announced.
He told the Scottish Sun: “I never spoke to the manager. I don’t know if I was surprised not to play.
“When Marsh got called into the squad I thought he would be playing.
“From there it was a case of doing the best I could and if my performances in training helped him to push on then that would be the goal.”
Bain must deal with setback positively
Bain’s snub from the national team is the first real setback he’s suffered during the last 18 months. The goalkeeper has gone on a meteoric rise since falling out with Neil McCann at Dundee. He’s travelled to Celtic, made his debut in a win at Ibrox and embarked on a run as the club’s number one, including a spell of 12 successive clean sheets last season.
There were a couple of worrying signs at the end of last season concerning Bain’s kicking a decision making when in possession. Hoops fans will just be hoping that was the effect of a long, arduous season and nothing more severe.
Bain will rightly go into the new season as Celtic’s number one and that’s a position he’s never found himself in before. The shot-stopper will also have to adjust to the pressure of playing in the Champions League – a competition he is yet to appear in.
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