Goram: Concerned about foot-and-mouth until Wednesday morning (CliveBrunskill/Allsport)

When the goalkeeper awakes in his Manchester hotel room on the morning of April 3, with Bayern Munich due on Champions League business that night, Sir Alex Ferguson can be sure his heart won't be in his mouth.

Goram, the king of on-field cool, will stride down the tunnel at the Theatre of Dreams as if he was walking through the front doors of Maisie's Bar in Lanark.

If Fabien Barthez brings a joie de vivre to Old Trafford, Goram will exhibit the gallus streak which has underpinned his rollercoaster career.

And Goram - having proverbially slummed it from Notts County reserves to Motherwell's free transfer list - can't wait to renew an old acquaintance.

'It's good that I've got the chance to work with Fabien, who is the best in the world at the moment, ' said Goram. 'I'm delighted to be here and to get the chance to train with him.

'I've not won the Champions League, obviously, but we got to the semi-finals with Rangers in 1993 and played against Fabien for Marseille the year they won it.

'Then we had Juventus and Ajax the season after, so the challenge doesn't worry me. I'm glad I've had the experience - without it, I could have struggled. But, having played in the Champions League and in Old Firm games, nothing here is going to faze me. It's just great to be able to help out for the big games.'

They don't come any bigger, even for United, than Liverpool at Anfield in the Premiership and Bayern Munich in the Champions League at Old Trafford.

It could have been Hearts at Tynecastle next Saturday, followed by an uncertain future as his Motherwell contract - one which was not to be renewed - drew to its conclusion.

But, buoyed by the faith which Sir Alex Ferguson has invested in him, the 36-year- old is unconcerned at the magnitude of his impending schedule.

'It's not as if we don't know each other,' added The Goalie. 'If I play, I play, but if I don't, I don't. I've signed for six weeks and I don't know what will happen after that. Whether it's Mother-well or Manchester United, I will still be in the same situation and I will still have to find myself another club for next season. It has all happened so quickly for me in the last 24 hours.

'I'm looking forward to it all, though. United play their reserve games at Gigg Lane in Bury, close to where I was born, and I've never played there before.'

Gin and Tonic, as well as their grazing companions on the Lanarkshire smallholding run by Goram and fiancee Miriam Wylie, must take care of themselves until the summer.

Locals at Maisie's - the couple's other business concern in their adopted home town - may only see mine host in company with the Champions League's haunting theme music.

But for Goram, the domestic sacrifices will be worthwhile as downmarket newspapers scramble for exclusive rights to his life story and photographic access to his impending wedding. Whether Posh and Becks will enjoy gin and tonic with Gin and Tonic for the benefit of Hello! magazine remains a closely-guarded secret.

But there was no hiding Goram's delight at winning the last lucrative contract of his career, and placing himself in the brightest shop window for next season.

'We needed a replacement for Fabien and Raimond and it was the manager's idea to go for Andy,' revealed United goalkeeping coach Tony Coton.

'We are in a situation where we don't know exactly how long Fabien is going to be out, and we still have Raimond out after his knee operation. We were left with only Paul Rachubka, and the manager thought we needed experienced cover. Andy gives us that and he won't be fazed by the big occasion. It's a real possibility he'll play against Bayern.'

Gin and Tonic may still be on his mind but, for the champagne occasion, there are few who can keep a clearer head than Goram. And Sir Alex knows it.

Meanwhile, Motherwell director of football Pat Nevin last night insisted the club could wait until the summer before replacing Goram, adding that a move for Stewart Kerr of Celtic was 'not now at the top of the list'.