Douglas hoping for luck in final

Superstitious goalkeeper Robert Douglas is hoping an unexpected gift will give him a hefty dose of good luck in the UEFA Cup final.

The Celtic star is expected to resume his role between the sticks in tomorrow night’s showdown with Porto in Seville after a spell out through injury.

He made no secret of his desire to keep a clean sheet against the Portuguese champions – and was prepared to use every option available to help him.

He admitted: “Folk don’t realise how important clean sheets are to goalkeepers sometimes.

“I have four million and 52 superstitions – I get old women sending me horseshoes.

“I was sent one when I moved from Dundee to Celtic and it was so heavy I could hardly lift my bag. It must have been made in Ravenscraig!”

Omens have played a major role in Martin O’Neill’s side’s run to the final with the most memorable being “the V thing”.

That was Douglas’ description of the strange quirk of fate that saw Celtic conquer team after team with a V in their names, starting with Lithuanian minnows Suduva and also including Blackburn Rovers, Celta Vigo, VfB Stuttgart, Liverpool and Boavista.

Of course, there is no V in Porto – but there certainly is one in Seville.

Celtic have not reached a European final since 1970 when Jock Stein was in charge and many fans who are on their way to Spain were not born when the Lisbon Lions triumphed in the European Cup in 1967.

The UEFA Cup will always be the poor relation when compared to its glitzy, re-named relative but victory in Seville would ensure the class of 2003 will become part of footballing folklore at least in Scotland.

Many a Hoops fan can recite the Lisbon Lions line-up at the drop of a green and white hat and any updated version would be sure to start with “Douglas”.

He mused: “It will be interesting. The Lions are great and we still see them about.

“They are great characters and if we can achieve what they have done then we will probably be entitled to be remembered in that category.”

Douglas has not played since limping out of the Old Firm derby at Ibrox last month, lasting just 10 minutes before a suspect leg muscle gave way.

But the goalkeeper, who will also be required for Scotland’s Euro 2004 qualifier with Germany next month, has made a quick recovery.

Javier Sanchez Broto, who replaced him at Ibrox, has been allowed to continue in goal to prevent any other mid-match mishaps occurring to Douglas, who had also lost weight during his days of idleness.

Broto is ineligible, having played for Livingston in an earlier round of the competition before his winter break switch to Parkhead, so the fit-again Magnus Hedman will take a place on the bench.