Woods is just the man Celts need to be keeping watch
Jonathan Gould believes Celtic goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods will be the man to unearth a new No.1 this summer.
Preston goalkeeping coach Gould played 157 times for Celtic and knows Woods, who oversaw the development of Artur Boruc and Fraser Forster, is a key man.
He believes Woods’ track record suggests he’ll find the perfect fit for the Hoops this summer.
Gould said: “It’s really simple as, first of all, Celtic shouldn’t recruit any new goalkeepers until they have appointed a manager.
“But Stevie Woods will already have his ducks in line.
“He knows Scott Bain, Vasilis Barkas and Conor Hazard and is aware of their strengths and weaknesses.
“There will be plenty of goalkeepers thrown at Celtic this summer. When that happens, it’s important to remember you don’t necessarily always have to spend a small fortune to secure a topquality player. Stevie knows that more than most.
“As all goalkeeping coaches know, every manager wants a keeper to suit the team’s style of play.
“At Celtic in recent years, this has sadly become more about their ability to play out from the back, rather than whether he can keep the ball out of the net.
“It wi l l be dictated by who the club appoints and the budget the new manager is provided with.”
Gould reckons today’s Old Firm crunch could be a milestone moment for whoever starts between the sticks.
He said: “One of my most memorable moments with Celtic came in an Old Firm game and it was a goal involvement. I launched a 70-yard pass to big Chris Sutton then, as we know, Henrik left Bert Konterman and Stefan Klos in his wake.
“But generally as a Celtic goalkeeper, you’ll be remembered for the important saves you make in the big moments.”