Culkin glad to keep his helping hands in

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Dec 30, 2001 | by Alan Campbell

THE Northern Lights have not been a welcome sight for visitors to Aberdeen this season, but Livingston's on-loan goalkeeper Nick Culkin has only good memories of his visit to Pittodrie in October.

There, amidst the home side's nine-match run of SPL victories, Livingston crushed Aberdeen 6-1 in the CIS Cup. As the Dons attempt to stretch their league record to 10-in-a-row at Pittodrie on Wednesday, Culkin will also stretch his spell with Livingston if the SPL approve an extension of his loan deal.

Signed for three months at the beginning of October from Manchester United, Culkin survived a shaky start to prove himself a capable replacement for the injured Javier Sanchez Broto. "I'm looking forward to the game against Aberdeen," he admits of the fixture between the teams, which are third and fourth in the SPL. "They're after our spot and we want to keep it."

Although Culkin was due to return to Manchester in early January when Broto returns to the club, the Spanish keeper is not expected to be match fit for another month. Man Utd have agreed to an extension provided the SPL agree.

Culkin joined at Old Trafford aged 17, in 1995. He started this season as fourth choice goalkeeper and had played just one game of any kind when Sir Alex Ferguson told him Livingston wanted to sign him on loan. At face value, a move from Man Utd to Livingston appears to be a huge demotion, but it is one he was happy to seize upon.

"I've enjoyed it," he says in matter-of-fact style. "All I was doing at Man Utd was sitting there doing nothing. I'm happy with the way I've been playing since coming to Livingston."

Having arrived at Manchester when Peter Schmeichel was in his prime, he has latterly been at the end of a queue behind Fabien Barthez, Roy Carroll and Raimond van der Gouw. With his contract running out at the end of the season and his total first team experience amounting to just one minute, Culkin has no illusions about the future.

"It's an old cliche, but every footballer wants to be playing first team football," he says. "My chance of doing that at Manchester United is very, very slim, so I have to look elsewhere.

"I played for the first team once (in 1999-2000) when I came on as sub against Arsenal at Highbury in the last minute. I took a goal kick and the referee blew his whistle. I'm sure it's in the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest debut ever, but we won 2-1 and it was great.

"Man Utd are one of the world's best teams, so it's hard for a young keeper to come through the ranks and break into the side. The other side of the coin is that I've worked with Schmeichel and Barthez. They're the world's best goalkeepers so it's great to watch them and learn."

So, which one does he regard as the better? "No chance," he laughs. "You're not catching me out. They're two different keepers, with styles which work for them, and they're fantastic to watch. It gutted me as a member of the goalkeepers' union when Barthez had that bad spell of three or four games but he's come back with some unbelievable saves."

Livingston is Culkin's third loan club. In 1999-2000, he played four games for Hull City and spent last season with Bristol City, making 45 appearances.

That was great experience, but having been inactive again at the start of the season he looked badly in need of match practice when he arrived at Almondvale. In particular, he looked uncertain under the high ball.

Gradually, his confidence has grown. In both recent matches against Celtic, the CIS Cup quarter final and last Wednesday's SPL game at Parkhead, he has attracted favourable reviews.

"I'd only played one game before I arrived," he explains. "The goalkeeping coach at Livingston, Roy Burns, sorted that out. We had a month's hard work, just like pre-season, and it has done me the world of good."

Culkin also praises the speedball training devised by fitness coach, George McNeill.

"It has been tremendous," he says. "It's a great help with hand- eye co-ordination. It has sharpened me up a lot."

In the longer term, a permanent move to Livingston hasn't been ruled out. "It's something I would seriously consider," admits Culkin. "I've had the chance at Livingston to show what I can do and give my career a kick start. I just want to keep playing."