Boruc may face Poland axe

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc’s international future was in doubt today after mixed messages from the Poland camp over his Hibernian howler.

National team boss Leo Beenhakker insisted the 28-year-old was still one of the five best keepers in the world but his number two, Dariusz Dziekanowski, claimed the blunder had cost Boruc his country’s number one jersey.

Hoops keeper Boruc was deceived by a speculative 45-yard strike from John Rankin in Sunday’s 2-0 Clydesdale Bank Premier League defeat at Easter Road, a result that ended the champions’ 12-match winning run in the top flight.

Dziekanowski, 46, played for Celtic himself, becoming a cult hero at Parkhead after being brought to Glasgow by then manager Billy McNeill in 1989.

He claims Boruc will now be dropped by Poland in favour of Arsenal understudy Lukasz Fabianski.

“I saw the goal he lost from 40 metres against Hibs and it was unbelievable,” Dziekanowski said. “There have been other mistakes this season and yes, it’s a worry for us because he was a very important player for us. Now, though, Fabianksi will be our number one goalkeeper.”

Dziekanowski also criticised Boruc’s lifestyle, branding him overweight.

“It’s true to say that Artur weighs too much,” he said. “It’s important for him to keep in good shape and to look after himself and he has to do that again. He needs to push himself because a football career is very short.”

Boruc has had a colourful and controversial career both on and off the field and Dziekanowski believes his turbulent personal life may be affecting his game.

“It’s difficult for any player if you have problems off the pitch,” he said.

“That’s a difficult subject but he must clear his head. The main thing is that his life must be stable again.”

He added: “We have a World Cup qualifying match against Northern Ireland in March and I hope that Artur can find his best form by that time.”

But Beenhakker, who has not yet seen Boruc’s latest blunder, said: “I don’t understand why there is always such a fascination with slaughtering keepers when they make mistakes.

“The last time I checked, every goalkeeper I’ve worked with was a human being - not a robot – and every human in every walk of life makes mistakes.

“If you are making a mistake every minute of the day, you are in the wrong job but if it happens an odd time here or there then surely people can cut you slack?

“How many keepers have you seen make mistakes? Even the best in the world do it, sometimes when they least expect it.”

Beenhakker took a hard-line approach to Boruc breaching team discipline recently when the player broke a curfew on international duty in Ukraine.

The keeper was banned for the two games but subsequently returned to the fold and Beenhakker insists he is very much part of Poland’s plans.

He said: “I have said often enough in the past that he is in the top five keepers in the world and I stand by that.

“I also know he is a strong-minded person and one bad game won’t wreck him. He will bounce back from this and I’m sure he will use the mistake to make him stronger.

“In the next game we will see an even better Boruc than before. That is the mark of a top-class footballer and he is at that level.”