CRAIG MUST DELIVER HIS BEST TO WIN BOSS ROUND

BRENDAN RODGERS is not a man prone to wasting words. every public utterance serves a purpose.

So when the Celtic manager claimed last Saturday evening that the only loss to wound him as greatly as Luis Suarez’s defection from Liverpool to Barcelona was the departure of dorus de Vries from Swansea, the Northern irishman knew well the impact of such an eye-catching statement.

The motivation behind elevating an injured keeper to such a heady height prior to putting Craig Gordon’s name on last night’s team sheet? Without question to somehow cajole the Scot into rediscovering the kind of form he had left behind at the end of season 2014-15.

as strategies go, it would certainly be filed under ‘highrisk’. While a man of Gordon’s experience was always likely to rise to the challenge of seeing off a much-vaunted challenger for his jersey, it also had the potential to deflate him.

For the 33-year-old, then, this was much more than just a Champions League qualifier with the small matter of £20million at stake.

after all he’d been through — a record-breaking transfer, years lost through injury, the remarkable rebirth of his club and international career — this was a personal trial as much as anything.

if Gordon’s shot-stopping hasn’t been all it might of late, there’s no doubt that it’s his supposed vulnerability with the ball at his feet that’s been the impetus for de Vries’ arrival.

in that regard, his first meaningful involvement could hardly have been sweeter. Taking the ball to feet, he clipped it over a red shirt and out to Mikael Lustig with total precision.

The Swede found Leigh Griffiths, who fed Scott Sinclair. With the englishman pole-axed by hapoel keeper david Goresh, Tom Rogic finished through a forest of legs from 18 yards.

There was no question, however, that the keeper’s initial calmness had been the cornerstone of the goal. Confidence in such circumstances may previously have been an issue. Not now. invariably, in the opening period thereafter, passes were completed and attacks instigated — much to his manager’s liking.

despite hapoel seeing more of the ball in the opposing half than Celtic had bargained for, Gordon’s agility was rarely called into question in the first half.

Kolo Toure had much to do with that. at 35, many expected the ivorian to be in Glasgow simply to wind down his career. Not a bit of it.

Not content with protecting Gordon’s goal, his 40-yard surge through the middle was instrumental in Griffiths heading home the second.

When the striker converted a spectacular free-kick in first-half injury time, Parkhead rocked, but Gordon knew his job was only half done.

and before you could utter the word Malmo, the tie had been spun on its head.

eoghan O’Connell didn’t cover himself in glory as Lucio Maranhao edged towards goal, but the keeper ought not to have been beaten at his near post.

Truthfully, Maor Melikson’s piledriver, which arrived just two minutes later, would have had the beating of most custodians.

Such moments, however, are what separate the good from the great, the great from the world-class and Champions League teams from those scrapping it out in the europa League.

Moussa dembele’s headed conversion of a Griffiths corner with 17 minutes remaining and Scott Brown’s stunning late volley — together with Gordon preventing Maharan Radi’s header from providing another twist — gives Celtic huge hope that they may yet be found in the former this autumn.

despite the three-goal cushion, come the Turner Stadium next Tuesday, you suspect nothing but the very best from their current No 1 will still be required if that’s to come to pass.

For Gordon, this was a personal trial as much as anything