July 22, 2015 09:29:05 UK
Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon is desperate to help his side reach the Champions League group stage and avoid watching the competition on television again.
The Scotland international was speaking ahead of the second leg of the Bhoys’ second qualifying tie against Icelandic champions FC Stjarnan, with Celtic holding a 2-0 advantage from the home first leg.
To get to the group stage, you have to go through a lot of games against quality teams.
Craig Gordon
And Gordon, who has missed out in the qualifiers with both his current club and Hearts, is determined to do all he can to ensure that he is a participant in the lucrative group stage for the first time in his career.
He told the Daily Record: “The Champions League is a tremendous goal for me. It’s something I want to experience and it will take a massive effort over the next few weeks to get there.
“I’ve only ever watched the group stages on television, never live – as a Hearts fan growing up there weren’t many Champions League games.
“It’s a difficult competition. It’s hard to even reach the group stage nowadays as there are so many games.
“To get to the group stage, you have to go through a lot of games against quality teams.”
Celtic head to Iceland shorn of the services of Kris Commons and Callum McGregor, but Virgil van Dijk returns after suspension and Nadir Ciftci is available despite being handed a six-match domestic ban.
The Bhoys can be backed at 1.83 to keep a clean sheet in Iceland and are 6.50 to win 1-0 in 90 minutes, while they are 6.50 to win 2-0 and in doing so reach the third qualifying round, where they will face either Rudar Pljevlja or Qarabag.
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