CRAIG GORDON and second chances have become allies.

Tonight in Salzburg, the Celtic keeper aims to make it second time lucky in Europe.

Having already fallen out of the Champions League, the Europa League now represents the fall-back consolation for the Hoops.

Gordon knows all about bouncing back. He has defied the odds to return to action after two years out following serious knee and arm injuries.

He has performed so well since signing for the Parkhead club in the summer he has already won back his spot in the Scotland squad, and is targeting adding to the 40 caps he already has in his possession.

And, after just six appearances for Ronny Deila's side, Gordon has already proved to be the signing of the season in Scotland, making a mockery of those who believed that, even as a free agent, the man who once cost a record £9million wasn't worth the risk.

"Because I had almost nothing to lose, in a way it made me feel settled here," Gordon reflected. Now I'm back, I have the ambition and hunger to go out there and do it again.

"Overcoming the injury has probably relaxed me because all of this is almost like a bonus. I'm determined to enjoy this part of my career because that's what the games are and should be, enjoyable."

So well has he performed, the 31-year-old has made Fraser Forster's sale to Southampton not only a great piece of business for the club, but a potential setback for the Hoops which they have circumnavigated with ease.

Gordon began training with goalie coach, Stevie Woods, while Neil Lennon was in charge and Forster was still No.1.

The arrival of Deila as manager could have scuppered any hopes of winning a contract as the former Hearts and Sunderland keeper was unknown to the Norwegian.

But, he did enough to convince Deila to make him his first signing, on a two-year deal. It has proved to be the shrewdest move made to date by the incoming manager, who makes no attempt to hide his admiration for Gordon the keeper, and the man.

"Craig is a very good goalkeeper," is Deila's first response when asked to sum up his No.1.

"We had a good goalkeeper in Fraser, but we have another one now who has the level I want and who will only improve. Craig is a fantastic human being, as well."

The hunger which Gordon had as a kid breaking into the game is as strong as ever, fuelled by the fact he feared his career could have been over years before its natural shelf-life was due to expire.

Now he is there to provide a calming influence on those playing in front of him, not only coming to the rescue with saves which confirm he has lost none of his agility and reading of the game, but commanding his area in a way which was never Forster's forte.

For central defenders, in particular - especially a pair as young as Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer - knowing the goalkeeper will come out to claim any hanging crosses with a clean pair of hands before quickly distributing the ball to commence a counter attack is as good as it gets.

It is a strength which Deila encourages, and one which he hopes to see put to good use against Salzburg tonight.

The manager said: "That's important (coming out for crosses). I want our goalkeeper to be very offensive.

"Craig came for a lot of crosses against Aberdeen at the weekend. He played very well in that game and stopped two or three goals from going in before he was finally beaten."

The frustration for Gordon was that, once again, a clean sheet was denied him when David Goodwillie headed into his net from close range after the defenders had failed to cope with a cross which was delivered into an area which made it beyond even this pro-active keeper's range.

He accepts such momentary lapses will be punished, especially when the level of opposition rises - as it will tonight.

Gordon said: "We're still striving to get that finished performance. Some extra work is needed on the away performances, and we need a different kind of game plan.

"We need to learn to grind out a few results, try to be a little bit more solid and not give away as many chances."

For every keeper, a shut-out is the ultimate aim, and it certainly will be for Gordon tonight when a goalless draw would be considered an excellent opening result in Group D.

Despite his consistently excellent performances in the half dozen games since he took over from Forster, Gordon has only managed to keep one clean sheet.

And that came on his debut against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park back on August 13.

Deila recognises the importance of keeping it tight at the back against a side which, despite selling Sadio Mane to Southampton for £10m at the end of last month, still possess serious firepower in the shape of Spanish hitman Jonatan Soriano - top scorer in last season's Europa League with eight goals in seven games from the start of the group stage - and his Brazilian strike partner Allan.

The manager does not try to conceal his discomfort that the three keepers he has used have managed to record only three shut-outs in the 11 games they have played this season, two of them coming right at the start in both legs of their qualifier against Reykjavik.

"Of course it is a concern we have not had more clean sheets," said Deila. "We should work for that.

"But, right now, we are not good enough in the small details, and that is why we were conceding goals. That's also a thing we have to work on."

Work which most likely will require a shift-and-a- half tonight.