Callum McGregor

He’s won 5 trebles. Five!

 

No doubt. A truly excellent footballer and days like today really do highlight how rare and exceptional his loyalty to the club has been. After Scott Brown we were incredibly lucky that we had Callum ready to step right into the captains role.

 

I wouldn't speak too soon , I'd expect Ange to try and make Callum his priority signing.

 

Shut your dirty mouth

 

Jesus christ he's 30 already?! can remember his first debut under Delia.

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Who was his 2nd debut against..?

 

Just put on an absolute clinic on that swamp.

Ridiculous performance.

 

* is unreal

 

Pler. But nothing we don't already know

 

Appreciation post!

What a guy. Exceptional talent!

 

Absolutely fantastic player.

 

When Brendan Rodgers first arrived at Celtic, Callum McGregor was an eager-to-please, quick learning and hard-grafting young midfielder with 65 appearances, a third of those from the bench, 11 goals and three medals to his name.

Fast forward to the Irishman returning to manage the club once more, and that same 23-year-old midfielder is now the club captain with 420 games, 62 goals and an astounding TWENTY winner’s medals at the top level under his belt in the relatively short time since then – plus he’s an integral cog and the fulcrum of a resurgent Scottish national side

That McGregor became basically an ever-present in the side under the Irishman shows his standing in the manager’s mind and it can’t be complete coincidence that McGregor’s upwardly mobile curve has mirrored that of the club that Brendan Rodgers now returns to

Now, when McGregor returns to the fray following international duty and the summer break, he and his team-mates will take to the Lenoxtown pitches under the watchful eye of Brendan Rodgers, and that’s something he’s looking forward to.

The skipper told Celtic TV in an exclusive interview when asked about the return of his mentor: “Obviously the guys at the top of the club have been working really hard and relentlessly to make this happen.

“You become aware of it at the start of last week and there’s been a lot of chat, and a lot of good work done to get it over the line.

'It’s great that we’ve managed to get him back and it’s obviously a really positive step for the club, it’s a real statement of intent.'

“The guys that were here the last time really enjoyed working with him and under him, it was a really successful period.

“But just in terms of him coming back in, it’s important that we draw that line and it’s now about what we can achieve together moving forward for this new group as well.”




McGregor added: “He’s a top-level manager, his preparation and detail towards every single game, every single training session, every moment that he’s in the building he’s constantly thinking about football and how to make the club better, how to make the team better and on top of that, how to make the individual within the team better as well, and he’s had a brilliant track record with that everywhere he’s been.

“So the boys are really excited to work with him on a close level along with the guys who are still here at the club.

“They are really important coaches and I believe that’ll be a really good coaching team together and, like I said, it now about getting to work and trying to achieve what we can as a group.”




Included in that coaching team of Backroom Bhoys is John Kennedy – like McGregor as product of the Celtic Youth Academy – and the skipper is delighted that Kennedy will remain as assistant manager, along with first-team coaches Stevie Woods, Gavin Strachan and Harry Kewell, and B Team coaches Stephen McManus and Darren O’Dea.

The captain said: “Continuity was the key message. Obviously the previous manager did a fantastic job, but he was also helped by the excellent staff that we had in building and they work really well together.

“So we wish Ange all the best in terms of he did a fantastic job for us and we wish him well, but I think the message within the group is trying to keep as much continuity as we could, because we know we’ve got a great group of staff who work tirelessly every day to make sure the club is in a good place.

“So that coupled with the return of Brendan as manager is really exciting times for the players, the club and the supporters.




It’s a really good group, a really positive group and I would say a really good age as well. A good mix of young players and enough experience in there as well.

“He’s a really hands-on type manager, so he will be really present on the training pitch, and like I said, he works really closely with the players to develop them and help teach them the game.

'There’s a real game understanding when you go on the pitch and you understand exactly what you’ve been asked to do, so that’s one of his biggest strengths as a manager,'

“So, the players will be looking forward to that and, of course, it’s a massive test for the players to get to that level and continue to improve, because that’s what the club is all about.

“You have a successful season last year, but the message is can we go again, can we improve, can we get even better.”




He added: “I think everybody should be hugely excited. Again, a new season brings new challenges, there will always be something new for the players and the group, and the supporters to handle that challenge.

“So it’s important that we embrace that together. We always speak about how important the supporters are and the journey with the team and the club, so we have a really exciting season, it’s now about being together.

'We look forward to the challenges ahead – domestic honours to try and retain and hopefully a really exciting Champions League campaign as well.'

“So it’s really exciting times, we’ve appointed the manager, the players are obviously on holiday at the minute but come a few weeks’ time everybody will be ready to come back to work and the message is now we move forward together.”

 

That’ll be a massive difference. Kennedy et al were doing all of the football coaching under Ange. Now we have a proper world class coach.

 

Clearly happy Cal is happy with the appointment and is looking forward to working with BR again. All positive going forward. I think BR will progress Calmac even further tbh.

But for the now, skipper needs a very well deserved break. He's been first class and on it all year.