GARY CALDWELL knows all about waiting. In the past three years he has done his fair share. He had to wait half a season before he could swap Hibs for Celtic. He had to bide his time to earn a settled berth at the heart of Gordon Strachan's defence and he had to show real patience as punters veered from giving him pelters to offering plaudits.
Which is why he is not too perturbed by Celtic's ongoing plight away from home in the Champions League. He knows good things come to those who wait.
For vast chunks of the past two seasons, he was the target of the supporters' ire, while reporter
s and pundits struggled to see why Strachan was so full of praise. The European lapses against Benfica did not help engender deep-seated faith, while his manager did him no favours by utilising him out of position at right-back and he struggled to turn opinion in his favour. Until this season.
Now, having formed a settled and formidable partnership with captain Stephen McManus, he has produced one accomplished showing after another to become one of Celtic's most consistent performers and silence the critics.
The last couple of seasons have been a learning experience in the international arena as well as on regular Champions League duty and Caldwell has been a studious pupil.
"We want to test ourselves against the best so we can learn from it and try and get better" says Caldwell. "If you play big games against the best players in the world then I think you will always learn. For example, as a centre half you pick up on the areas they want to take you and where they will try and hurt you. You learn maybe not to go looking for them, when to get tight and when to drop off.
"They are decisions you have to make and you have to get them right or you know you will be punished."
Still only 26, he is speaking from experience. Naivety in big matches has proved costly on more than one occasion, but this term he has been resolute against the might of Manchester United at club level while the experience of playing against the likes of France, Italy and Argentina on the international stage has bolstered the self-belief.
"You have to think about what you are up against and how you are going to handle it. You have to get in a mindset before the game and then go out and try and dominate whoever you are up against." Sometimes that is world superstars, at other times it is a side Celtic know they could and should better as they seek to end their run of Champions League away games without a win.
The trip to Aalborg on Tuesday represents their best shot in a while and, allied to the fact only a win will keep them in contention in the group, Caldwell is feeling positive.
"Next week we are going to be in a battle and we have to be ready for that. Aalborg's players are a lot more physical and I think they will try and get in about us more."
He admits the first group game against Aalborg, a draw at home, was the biggest disappointment of the season so far but rather than wallow, he says there is still a chance to put things right, provided Manchester United beat Villareal and Celtic finally conquer their travel sickness. "This will be our ninth away game in the group stages and the record is not all down to us. We are only accountable for the games we have played in. Next week is a big chance for us and we will be going there to get the three points.
"This year I think we have improved. We have shown that we have learned from previous experiences where we were maybe out of the game before it even started. In the Man United game (at Old Trafford] the first two goals were offside, albeit we were up against it but if they don't go in then we are still in the game. I think we can take confidence from that and the Villarreal game and go into this one believing we can win."
Having belief and learning from experience are what matters. Caldwell can vouch for that.
The full article contains 737 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
