Joe Hart has admitted he’s been left wowed by how Celtic captain Callum McGregor has been going about his business this season.
McGregor has been one of the standouts under Ange Postecoglou this season after taking over the armband from legendary Celtic figure Scott Brown.
It’s Callum’s first season as a Hoops captain, and we now currently sit 3 points clear at the top of the Premiership with the League Cup already secured.
And Hart has lauded the work done by Callum behind the scenes as he states he’s been doing things his own way.
Speaking via Celtic YouTube, Hart said: “He’s been exceptional. I’ve loved working with Callum from the moment I stepped in. He made me feel welcome. It’s easy to look at someone – I’m 34, I’ve been around – but at the end of the day when you come into a new environment, you still need welcoming faces. You still need people to have an interest in you from a personal point of view, and I think with Callum, that’s all come really naturally to him.
“I don’t think you should take that for granted. I know for a fact from speaking to people that he had huge shoes to fill. He’s done the right thing, he hasn’t tried to fill the shoes, he’s gone about it in his own way and what he sees as right. His love and passion for the club are very important in that, and someone that I’ve really enjoyed working with and someone we don’t take for granted in the group.”
Callum McGregor efforts appreciated by Joe Hart and Celtic teammates
McGregor has certainly impressed supporters this season. But perhaps more tellingly, he’s been leaving a big impression on his Celtic teammates too.
That’s vital. It gives us an inside look with regards to how much the Celtic squad trust their captain. That was always the big fear after Scott Brown’s departure – that Callum wouldn’t be able to step up to the task or require that same level of respect.
Not because he isn’t a top Celtic player with plenty of medals to his name, but because he has a different demeanour to Scott. He doesn’t appear, at face value at least, to be the kind of captain to go shouting and balling at the players. But even so, Callum’s style is working.
Hart is clearly genuinely impressed with what he’s seen from Callum’s leadership abilities this season. He should know too, he’s captained the likes of Manchester City and England in the past. He knows what it takes to be a commanding presence in dressing rooms.
Evidently, Callum also gives off those same vibes in the dressing room. There appears to be an extremely strong level of respect for everything McGregor has done at Celtic. And there’s an appreciation from everyone in the dressing room that he’s the leader.
Given how the season is going so far, it’s difficult to see any negatives so far with regards to Callum’s captaincy.
In other news, Ange Postecoglou addresses Mikey Johnston’s Celtic return after B team impact
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