The veteran goalkeeper rolled back the years as Celtic overcame Dundee on Saturday.
With a huge Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on the horizon, it was no surprise to see Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers field a much-changed team for their Scotish Premiership encounter with Dundee at the weekend.
Among the Celtic fringe players on show was goalkeeper Dorus de Vries, and the 36-year-old’s performance suggested that, even at this stage of his career, he is wasted on the Bhoys bench.
It is common knowledge that – up to a point – ‘keepers get better with age, and the Dutchman’s performance against Dundee suggested that he still has plenty left in the tank.
The problem for the veteran is that with Craig Gordon ahead of him in the pecking order, he is unlikely to get many more chances at Celtic Park between now and end of the campaign, and certainly not when it really matters.
All big clubs need quality back-up, and on recent evidence de Vries could step in for Gordon if the latter was injured or suspended later in the campaign, but it is a shame for the former Swansea City man that he is seeing out the twilight of his career on the bench.
He still has what it takes to be first-choice somewhere, but he has chosen to be Celtic’s reliable alternative, if only one that is rarely seen.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
