Alex Rae wowed by ‘invaluable’ Celtic player amid ‘real frustration’ at how the modern game is played

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How the modern game is played brings an air of frustration to some supporters.

Celtic control most of the matches that they play in, but Brendan Rodgers prefers an extra dial of the ball, and that sometimes comes with playing too many sideways and backwards passes.

But, for Alex Rae, it’s a general problem in the game, although he thinks Celtic captain Callum McGregor is the exception.

Rae was part of Philippe Clement’s coaching staff at Rangers last season, before he was sacked at the start of the year, so he would have seen McGregor at his best up close and personal.

• READ MORE: Callum McGregor reacts to what could happen when he and James Forrest retire from Celtic duty

Alex Rae lauds ‘invaluable’ Callum McGregor at Celtic

Speaking to PLZ Soccer, Rae wanted to give his flowers to McGregor, including how he has been ‘invaluable’ for Celtic throughout his career.

Apart from a brief loan spell at Notts County, the 32-year-old has spent his entire career representing Scotland’s most successful club.

Whilst Rae gets annoyed with how many teams and footballers play today’s game, because it’s ‘all possession-based’, he thinks McGregor shows everybody how it’s done.

“That’s a real frustration for me, these days,” said Rae about players not playing forward enough. “Because a lot of players are all possession-based. The teams with the intent to play forward.

“You look at Callum McGregor over his tenure at Celtic, he loves to get the ball, ticks it, moves it and gets it to the other side. Looks to penetrate. They are invaluable, these guys.

“But then, you also need the runners as well. It’s not just in possession, but you have to make unselfish runs. There have to be brave runs. Running in behind. Unselfish, so then somebody else can release you.

“I agree, I think there are a lot of players (across the game), who are safe, at the moment.”

McGregor to become Celtic’s most decorated player of all time?

The retired Scotland international turned 32 in June, so he still has plenty of years left in the tank, even though he is probably past his peak years.

McGregor is sitting on 24 trophies in his Celtic career, which is incredible, and there is no sign of it stopping.

James Forrest is Celtic’s most decorated player with 26 trophies, but if McGregor outlasts his career, then there is no reason why the skipper doesn’t top that list by the time he kicks the final ball of his trophy-laden career.