Gordon backs booed Boyata to win fans over at Parkhead
CRAIG Gordon last night expressed hope that Dedryck Boyata has won round the Celtic supporters who turned on him after he declined to play in a crucial Champions League qualifiers by helping the Parkhead club keep three consecutive clean sheets – including against Rangers.
Boyata incensed fans of the Scottish champions last month when he claimed he was unable to feature in the second leg of the double header against AEK Athens in Greece – despite his manager Brendan Rodgers declaring he was fit.
However, the centre-half, who is set to play for his country in an international friendly against Scotland at Hampden on Friday, has since returned to the Celtic first team and helped them to wins against Hamilton, Suduva and Rangers.
Goalkeeper Gordon ran the full length of the park to congratulate Boyata on the goal he scored against Hamilton last month after fans unveiled a banner which stated that he was “not fit to wear the jersey”.
“There was a few things going on,” said Gordon. “But Dedryck’s a fantastic player. He showed in the last three games how important he actually is to the team.
“He’s had a little bit of stick from the fans over the last season or so, but I think they’ve realised now, when he was missing, how much he does actually bring to the team.
“He went to the World Cup and played in four games there and I think he’s taken confidence from that and from training with some of the world’s top defenders. Belgium have some of the best defenders in the world. He’s taken a lot from them and come back even better.”
Gordon added: “He has been quiet, he is a quiet lad, genuinely, so he’s not going to come out and say too much. I think he’s dealing with it great, just getting on with his job. For me he’s probably been the standout player in the three games that he’s played.”
Meanwhile, Gordon, who has been the first-choice Scotland keeper since the Russia 2018 qualifier against England at Wembley in 2016, insisted he was undeterred by the impressive form of his Rangers counterpart Allan McGregor.
“There is always going to be that comparison drawn by everybody,” he said.
“We’re coming off the back of three clean sheets in a row now at Celtic, so we’ve done well.
“I think that’s down to me and our team concentrating, not worrying about what anyone else is doing.”