STEVE BANKS ON GILLS' HELP

Hearts goalkeeper Steve Banks has prepared for his first start with the help of former club Gillingham.

The 33-year-old will deputise for the suspended Craig Gordon at Celtic after the Scotland international was sent off in the 2-2 draw with Falkirk a fortnight ago.

The international break allowed Banks the opportunity to return to the Priestfield Stadium in Kent for extra training sessions.

But the former Bolton keeper admits he was still not allowed to forget the task ahead of him in front of 60,000 supporters tomorrow.

Banks said: "I was lucky enough to have a few days off, so I went back down south and did a bit of training with Gillingham.

"That meant I kept ticking over, so the break wasn't too bad.

"The majority of the players at Hearts were away on international duty, so it was an opportunity to go and see my family and I was training, so it wasn't as if I was missing out.

"In fact, I probably got more done down there than I would have if I had stayed in Scotland.

"But the Gillingham players were more than aware of who I was playing against this week and they didn't let me forget it either.

"I've got a list for shirts and tickets and all sorts."

But Banks insists he is unfazed by the size of the Parkhead crowd after playing before a capacity crowd at Wembley in 1999.

He said: "I played in the play-off final for Bolton against Watford at Wembley with 75,000 fans there. We lost 2-0 but I coped fine with that atmosphere.

"I had been playing for Blackpool previously in front of 5000 people.

"I was signed on deadline day so I played for the rest of the season, which was about three months, and then I found myself playing at Wembley in front of thousands.

"But I also played in front of just 50 fans at Selhurst Park when I was at Wimbledon.

"Once you get involved in the game though, you forget how many people are there.

"It's not just crowds that make a game big. You have local derbies which are big and I've played in them.

"It could be anyone who I was playing against, I would still prepare in the same manner."

But Banks dismisses the idea that Hearts' bubble will burst with defeat by the Hoops.

The Edinburgh team scored eight successive wins in the Bank of Scotland Premier League before the draw at Falkirk.

But the loss of the in-form Gordon is viewed as a massive blow for, arguably, the biggest game of the season so far.

Banks said: "If that's what people want to say, they can say it.

"I've just got to do what I've got to do and we'll go on from there."

Taken from sportinglife.com