Goalkeeper Craig Gordon reckons Celtic's ability to handle pressure can be key in the Premiership title race.

The champions are currently level on points with rivals Rangers at the top of the table after losing at Ibrox before the winter break.

Kilmarnock and Aberdeen are also hot on Celtic's heels, although the Hoops do have a game in hand.

Gordon appreciates he and his teammates face a sterner test this time around but believes Brendan Rodgers' side's track record of success sets them apart.

He said: "You are right, it is very condensed, for everybody else that is quite exciting.

"I think it brings the pressure to everybody.

"There is a lot to play for a number of teams, all the clubs will be under pressure.

"Being at Celtic, we are used to that having being up there for a considerable period of time.

"I can only see that benefiting us, to go into the second half of the season with the knowledge we can compete and get the job done."

Celtic have cruised to the title in Rodgers first two seasons in charge at Parkhead but have been hauled in by their rivals this time out after a slow start by their standards.

Gordon, though, insisted Celtic managed to meet their goals for the first half of the campaign after adding to the trophy cabinet and staying in Europe.

"You can look at that two ways," he added.

"We have still achieved what we wanted to achieve when we set out at the start.

"To get to this point top of the league, still in Europe and having won the League Cup, on paper we couldn't have done any more than that really.

"We are happy with that but want to continue to improve and put in a good showing during the second half of the season.

Before joining Celtic, Gordon enjoyed a spell coaching with Dumbarton as he recovered from a serious knee injury.

The 36-year-old said he is mulling over an eventual move into management having taken inspiration from ex-goalkeeper Tommy Wright's work at St Johnstone.

He continued: "I want to focus entirely on my playing career, to get as much out of it as I possibly can.

"But in the next few years it is something I will look that.

"There are very few goalkeepers who make the transition into management.

"You see how organised Tommy Wright's team is, they are hard to beat.

"As time goes by more and more people are realising how the goalkeeper role is changing.

"It is becoming much more part of the team, people are starting to realise goalkeepers have a good knowledge of more than one position on the pitch and could definitely make that transition into management."