Steve Ogrizovic’s football career hangs on the result of a forthcoming hospital scan on his neck.

If he gets the thumbs up then Coventry City will offer him a new one year contract. If the result goes against him then his playing career and his sixteen years stay at Coventry will be over.

But the veteran goalkeeper – he will be 42 in September – says everything is proceeding nicely at present.

He had an operation on his neck in a London clinic at the end of last season when he began to feel pain in the neck and shoulder.

Doctors diagnosed a prolapsed disc and in a delicate operation they transferred a sliver of bone from his hip to his neck.

His rehabilitation is now well on course and the big goalkeeper says:

"I have started to step up my training, but I am not doing any diving around at present.

"The bones have to knit together, just as in a broken arm. I am waiting for the hospital scan and if that gives me the all clear then I shall begin training flat out.

"I hope that will be at the end of August, beginning of September."

Ogrizovic faces stiff opposition when he does resume because Coventry have taken on Italian goalkeeper Rafaele Nuzzo on twelve months loan as cover for their No.1 Magnus Hedman.

The young Dane Morten Hyldgaard is also in the goalkeeper squad, but he is considered too raw yet to play any part at first team level.

Ogrizovic is such a determined performer however that manager Gordon Strachan might yet prefer him to Nuzzo if Hedman ever became injured and missed matches.