Wilson Stunned By Late Call

Feb 24 2008 By Euan Mclean

GORDON STRACHAN has revealed he sent Mark Wilson on a last-gasp dash home to pick up his boots before making a shock comeback against Barcelona.

The Hoops full-back (far right) has been out for five months with an ankle injury and was never in Strachan's plans for Wednesday's Champions League crunch - until the Celtic boss spotted him working out at their Lennoxtown base on the morning of the game.

Before he knew it the stunned defender was racing back to his house to get his stuff before rejoining the squad for the biggest game of his life marking Ronaldinho after replacing rookie Paul Caddis in the second half.

Strachan said: "It was surprising to have Mark back because I said at the press conference on Tuesday he'd have no chance of playing.

"Then on the morning of the game I saw him running and sprinting about so I said 'Listen, can you play?' "'Yeah, no problem,' he said and nipped home to get his gear. He hadn't done a thing in terms of reserve games but I wanted him because I knew Caddy might be tired with 20 minutes to go."

Strachan's decision to replace Caddis with a far from 100 per cent fit Wilson raised eyebrows among the Parkhead supporters.

But the Celtic boss was merely protecting the 19-year-old who had put everything into the task of trying to tame a football magician regarded by many as the best player in the world.

Strachan added: "I replaced Caddy when I did because I felt he had just done enough by that point. He was terrific in his debut away to Kilmarnock but while we knew it was going to be a different ball game against Barcelona we have every confidence that he's going to be a good player.

"So it wasn't a problem to throw him in. Time will tell what kind of benefit that experience will have for him but it's not often you come across a squad of players like that.

"They're as good as it's going to get so I wouldn't be scared of anything after Wednesday night."