Craig Gordon has admitted that he feared his time on the big stage may have been numbered after he found himself playing second fiddle to Dorus de Vries earlier this season.

Yet, in a short space of time, it already has the feel of a different season than what Gordon might have feared.

The Scotland internationalist won back his place when the Dutchman was injured in a game against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park.

However, as Celtic gear up for a month of Champions League football sandwiched between preparations for the first piece of silverware on offer for the season, Gordon accepted that at the back of his mind he wondered if his days of pushing for silverware were behind him.

“You try not to think about it or dwell on the negatives but if you are not playing then at the back of your mind you do know that there is a possibility that you might not be in amongst the big days like this again,” said the 33-year-old candidly.

“It is a unique position and it isn’t like an outfield position where you might get time here or there on the pitch to reassert yourself so you do wonder. I was just lucky that I got the chance to come on at half-time against Kilmarnock when Dorus got injured and that was my chance.

“The manager has been very good with me and the detail he has gone in to for my position has been phenomenal. I have taken it upon myself to adapt to that and try to take in as much of it as I possibly can so that my game is exactly what he is looking for.

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“We have started exceptionally well. But it is only October and we want to keep it going and keep our focus and win as many games as we can between now and the end of the season, regardless of what competition that is. I just want to playing in as many of those games as possible.”

It could be billed as a prelude of what is to come next month at Hampden, but Gordon has maintained that the Parkhead side are heading to Pittodrie on Saturday with only an immediate return in mind.

Celtic play Derek McInnes’ side at lunch-time in the Granite City, a game that will be regarded as something of a dress rehearsal ahead of the Betfred League Cup final next month.

While the chatter has already intensified about whether that particular game could open the door to a domestic Treble for Celtic – in their 128-year history the club have achieved that feat only three times – Gordon has insisted that Brendan Rodgers’ side are too long in the tooth to buy into the what-ifs of a season.

Instead, the keeper will look to simplify things by aiming no further than the next port of call.

“We play Aberdeen on Saturday up at Pittodrie and they are a dangerous team, a hard team, to beat,” said the keeper. “Even that game at Celtic Park when we ran out comfortable 4-1 winners in the end, I don’t think the scoreline reflected how close that game actually was.

“We’ll treat them with every respect, not just on Saturday but before the Cup final too. You can be sure of that.

“But we want to win on Saturday regardless of what that does before the Cup final because first and foremost we want to extend our lead at the top of the table. If that means we put down a marker before we play them at Hampden then so be it but the main focus now is back on league duty.”

Meanwhile, Gordon believes that Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko have the basis of establishing a solid defensive unit at the heart of the Celtic defence.

Kolo Toure had a nightmare against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League last week but his experience is something that will still be utilised by Rodgers over the course of the season.

However, in Simunovic and Sviatchenko, Gordon expects to see a long-term pairing develop.

“I really enjoy playing with Jozo,” said the goalkeeper. “He is strong, he is good on the ball and he is quick. He has got everything in a modern day centre-half that you would be looking for and it is great to play behind him.

“He makes good decisions and he is still very young but there is a good partnership forming there.

“That is three domestic clean sheets in a row now with Erik Sviatchenko and Jozo and it is starting to look good. That is what you are looking for all over the pitch is to establish strong partnerships all over the pitch and we probably haven’t that in defence for a wee while.

“As a keeper you want to be playing behind the same guys so that you all know one another’s games. It lets them know the positions I like them to get into in certain situations and they know how to help me out with the ball. It has been work in progress for a while now but I think we are starting to get there and understand exactly how we all play.”

And while Gordon would love the chance to write his name into the history books at the club by becoming part of a Treble winning side, he is cautious about making sweeping predictions when the campaign is still in its infancy.

“It is a difficult thing to do,” he said. “It hasn’t been done very often. It is great that we have given ourselves a chance to go out and win the first Cup final of the season but there is one other competition that hasn’t even started yet so I think we can just concentrate on what is in front of us just now.”