The Big Interview Pat Bonner

“If he can stay brave, Fraser Forster will be on the plane to Brazil.”

Pat Bonner would never claim to be psychic.

In two decades playing for Celtic and the Republic of Ireland, he was always content to determine his own future and leave others to do likewise.

Yet as 2014 dawns, the former Hoops hero is happy to gaze into the proverbial crystal ball to predict what the year will hold for the club’s current number one, Fraser Forster. And, the Geordie will be pleased to hear, he definitely sees him heading for Brazil in the summer.

It is an issue which has been the subject of fierce debate.

Roy Hodgson is likely to name only three goalkeepers in his 23 man squad to represent England at the 2014 World Cup Finals. Manchester City’s Joe Hart, as the country’s first choice, will almost certainly claim one.

That leaves two up for grabs and Forster has three impressive rivals Ben Foster of West Brom, Norwich City’s John Ruddy and Under-21 star Jack Butland of Stoke City, for the two remaining places. No easy task, with the trio all vocal about their desire to make the trip.

It has even been suggested Forster would be keen to leave Celtic for an English club to increase his chances of success.

Bonner says that it is not necessary. All he needs to do to get to Brazil, he contends, is hold his nerve.

“I am pretty sure England will pick Fraser for Brazil. He just has to believe it,” says Pat. “I understand all the arguments about it being harder to get respect when you are playing your football in Scotland.

“But he has started for England in an international (against Chile last November) and that was a big breakthrough for him. They lost the match, but he did just fine and in doing so has proved himself a viable option moving forward.

“Roy now knows he can trust Fraser to come in and do a job for him if necessary. You get part of the way by turning up for squads and proving you can fit in with the group. But it was really important that Fraser got his game.

“Of course, in an ideal world Celtic would still be involved in European competition. Although that is not the case, I don’t believe he has to move anywhere to prove a point in the run-in.

“He has been a Champions League regular in the last two seasons and won plenty of accolades for the way he has performed against big names like Barcelona, AC Milan and Spartak Moscow.

“People will remember those displays. As long as he can stay strong for Celtic in the domestic competitions between now and the end of the season, then I think he will be just fine.

“But he is up against some very impressive goalkeepers. It has been well documented Joe Hart has had his problems this season. I think in a way, though, they have actually highlighted just what a talent the lad is.

“He is right at the top of the club game, at a level where everything you do is scrutinised to the nth degree. Joe was taken out of the Manchester City team for a while, but he is back now and looking very impressive indeed.

“John Ruddy and Ben Foster are also playing in the English Premier League week in, week out. It is a high standard and they consistently do well for their clubs.

“Roy Hodgson will know Ben well having had him under his wing when he was in charge of West Brom.

“John Butland is not one I know so well, but he is held in high regard and, at 20 years old, has it all in front of him.

“But in talking these guys up, we have to remember just how good Fraser is. His performances in goal were key to Celtic’s qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League last season. The Spanish media described him as world class after the Barcelona ties in Glasgow, this season and last.

“His game has improved out of all recognition since he first arrived at Celtic Park on loan from Newcastle United three years ago.

“At Celtic you have to play in front of up to 60,000 people every week, but he has embraced the challenge. At 25 years old, he is a confident senior professional.”

And the experience of going to Brazil, Bonner continues, will only make him better.

“I was lucky enough to go to the World Cups in Italy in 1990 and the United States four years later while I was with Celtic, and they were just tremendous experiences.

“To this day, people remember me for the penalty shoot-out save from Romania’s Daniel Timofte in 1990 that helped us win through to a place in the quarter-finals.

“It is not even just the games, it is being part of the whole event. To fly away with a group of 20-odd guys, knowing the hopes and dreams of millions of your countrymen are with you is an amazing thing.

“Once you get there, you don’t know what will happen. The plans that managers have before the tournament so often change once the action starts.

“Logic would tell you that it will be Joe Hart who lines up in the games against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica but you just never know.

“For me, we could quite easily find ourselves in a situation in six months’ time where we are watching Fraser playing for England in the World Cup Finals.

“And that would be terrific, not just for him but for Celtic too.”