PLEASURE AND BAIN
Lenny thrilled to have keeper after Hibs stint
NEIL LENNON didn’t even get the chance to play Scott Bain at Hibs after admitting he couldn’t stand in his way of a move to Celtic after just a month at Easter Road.
But Lennon, who has now followed him to Parkhead, hopes the Hoops keeper can be No.1 for years to come for both club and country.
Lennon couldn’t believe his luck when Bain’s bust-up with then-Dundee boss Neil McCann gave him the chance to sign him on loan for Hibs last year.
But he allowed that deal to be cancelled when an injury to Craig Gordon left Brendan Rodgers desperately needing a keeper.
Bain signed in the final minutes of the transfer window – so late he turned up at Parkhead in a Hibs tracksuit – with Scott Allan heading the other way.
After a baptism-of-fire debut in an Old Firm win at Ibrox a year ago this week, Bain returned to being back-up until Rodgers handed him the gloves at the start of this year.
Bain has grabbed his chance and now the door has also opened for him with Scotland after Allan McGregor’s decision to retire.
Bain returns to former club Dundee tomorrow with his fortunes having changed dramatically since he left Dens Park, with the game coming just hours before he flies to Kazakhstan for the Euro 2020 qualifying opener.
Lennon is delighted for the 27-year-old and said: “It has been a meteoric rise for him over the last year or so. But he’s handled it extremely well and it’s a brilliant opportunity.
“If he gets a chance for Scotland, I’m sure he won’t let anyone down.
“He’s ready for it. I see an improvement in him. He has good composure, great agility and he’s excellent with his feet. He has a chance now to make himself Scotland’s No.1.
“If he can stay injury free then he has a great chance of staying in the (Celtic) team for a long time and there is an opportunity there with Allan retiring, who has been fantastic both for club and country.
“Craig still has plenty to offer so there is competition but if he gets the call he won’t let anyone down. Players fall out with managers, managers fall out with players. These things happen. But I was delighted when the opportunity was there to sign him for Hibs.
“I already had a good goalkeeper in (Ofir) Marciano and with Bain coming in it would have been really good competition but he took the opportunity at Celtic and excelled.
“I didn’t want to stop him going to Celtic. The by-product of that was that we got Scott Allan in the door at Hibs.
“It worked out well for everyone in the end. Scott got his move to Celtic and Scott Allan came and had a great half-season for me at Hibs.
“Scott’s been exceptionally good for us over the past couple of months. He has only conceded two goals since the turn of the year. One of them was a penalty and the other was when Motherwell took a bit of a chance.
“That speaks volumes not only for Scott but also for the way the defence has played in front of him. He is the typical modern-day goalkeeper.
“He is very comfortable with the ball. He gives me the heebie jeebies sometimes but there you go. His actual faculties for a goalkeeper are very good – his agility, his handling, his positional sense and his calmness are all things that I like.
“Craig had been excellent but obviously it was Brendan’s decision (to play Scott). The opportunity has come for Scott and he has taken it.”
One man Lennon is delighted to have available again for the Tayside trip is Callum McGregor who has recovered from a calf injury.
He was emerging during Lennon’s first stint in charge but the Hoops boss said: “He was only a boy. He then had a great spell at Notts County.
“To see him now, it’s all down to himself, his hard work and his mindset. He’s another big-game player. He thrives in those occasions and you can play him in a number of positions as well.
“He’s not even at his peak yet. He’s got another four, five, six really good years in him. I’m delighted with him.”
Meanwhile, Lennon was cool on talk that talent spotter John Park will make a Parkhead return, with current recruitment chief Lee Congerton reportedly set to join Rodgers at Leicester as a replacement for Eduardo Macia who left the club.
He said: “I know there will be speculation about Lee’s position but he’s made no indication he wants to leave.
“We had a good meeting about a week ago regarding players and he was full on.”