BANKON MENOT TO BOTTLE IT

STEVE BANKS knows today could be his one and only start for Hearts this season.

Top sporting arenas like Celtic Park can make legends out of mere mortals but it can also turn legs to jelly and minds to mince.

But the man with the famous goalkeeping surname insists he will not be fazed by a partisan 60,000 Glasgow crowd.

After all this is the man who went from relative obscurity in front of a few thousand fans with Blackpool to playing in the First Division play-off final at Wembley in front of 75,000.

But whether he performs well or not at Parkhead his prize is likely to be a place on the subs' bench when Scotland star Craig Gordon returns from suspension.

Banks said: "I still remember Bolton losing 2-0 in that play-off final. I had previously been playing for Blackpool in front of 5000 fans before I signed for Bolton on deadline day.

"You get caught up in the game and you forget how many people are actually there"I even remember once playing in front of 50supporters at Selhurst Park against Wimbledon.

"I've left the hype surrounding the Celtic match to everyone else as this game is an opportunity for me to show everybody what I can do.

"This is a massive game for the club and for myself personally. It could be my only match of the season and it just so happens it's against Celtic. So why not go for one of the toughest?

"But I'm looking no further forward than the Celtic game. I just want to help us maintain the start we have had.

"If I can make it a selection problem for the manager then I'd be delighted with that.

"I realise this is a massive game as we are just three points ahead of them and they are on a bit of a roll. But we're on a decent run ourselves.

"I just want to go out there and play and I'd have approached any game regardless of the opposition in much the same manner.

"It's as big a game as I've played in but it's not just crowds that make matches bigger. I've played in that play-off final and a few local derbies.

"If this is to be my only start this season then I want Hearts fans to remember me for the fact that I kept a clean sheet."

Ironically Banks could have been in the opposite goal today as he was a Celtic target when Wim Jansen was Parkhead boss in 1997.

Blackpool and Celtic had agreed a fee and the keeper was given the guided tour but after the clubs fell out over add-on clauses, Banks eventually joined Bolton.

Hearts boss George Burley allowed Banks to return home to Kent for afew days and the keeper said: "I went back to see my family and I trained with Gillingham to keep myself ticking over.

"The Gillingham lads were well aware of what was happening. I even got a list of requests for Celtic shirts and tickets and all sorts."

Having once been given a tour of Celtic Park Banks does not want to be given the runaround again. In fact the big Englishman would settle for being a spectator on his return to the Glasgow ground

Taken from the Daily Record