Scott Bain’s Celtic exit was predictable.
After being signed out of necessity, he later spent six years as back-up under Neil Lennon, Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers.
Aged 33, this summer, he made the move to Falkirk on a free transfer to try his hand at first-team football once again. In truth, his rare performances for the Hoops in his later years indicated that he had lost his way a bit.
But he has been a revelation for the Bairns, earning a Scotland recall with his performances for John McGlynn’s side.
And after just half a season at the club, he is now attracting surprise interest for an instant January move.
Ex-Celtic man Scott Bain could leave Falkirk
Bain admitted regretting not leaving Celtic earlier, when asked about his transfer at the recent Scotland camp.
He was, however, commendably honest in saying that remaining at Celtic helped him look after his young family.
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But in his 17 appearances for his new side, Bain has clearly made an impression.
The Daily Record report that his form has teams in the Scottish Premiership and English Championship considering a surprise January move.
He only signed a one-year deal at Falkirk, perhaps meaning that their hand could be forced if bids start to come in in the winter window.
And a move to a higher-profile club could aid Bain’s chances of making Steve Clarke’s squad for next summer’s World Cup.
It’s a great redemption arc for a man who was a largely forgotten figure in Scottish football, given his background role at Celtic.
But perhaps his form at the Falkirk Stadium is a reminder of why Rodgers brought him to Glasgow in the first place.
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Scott Bain’s Celtic career
Bain was signed by Rodgers in a bizarre three-club domino move which saw his loan from Dundee to Hibs terminated, Scott Allan head to Easter Road on loan from the Celts and Jack Hendry join Bain in Glasgow.
It was confusing at the time, but injuries meant that Celtic needed a new back-up. In unexpected circumstances, Bain was made to make his debut in the famous 3-2 win at Ibrox which led to Celtic’s away allocation being cut.
This earned him a permanent move to Glasgow, and in his first full year, he established himself as first-choice with a run of consecutive clean sheets in the winter.
But his jersey was taken by Fraser Forster the following season, and despite filling in for the struggling Vasilis Barkas, Bain was pretty much back-up from then on.
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