Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor has touched on the Brendan Rodgers message he received after signing his new deal.
The club did tremendously well to sign one of our best talents up for a further five years yesterday. The new contract keeps McGregor at Parkhead until the summer of 2024.
And it also cools down any speculation regarding a potential departure. McGregor had previously been linked over the summer with a move to Leicester City. STV even reported that they failed in an attempt to sign him. Brendan Rodgers is apparently a big fan of him after playing a massive role in his development over the last three years.
And speaking in the Scottish Sun, McGregor confirmed that the Northern Irishman sent him a congratulatory text after he signed his deal.
“I’ve just been focusing on my job and the manager has been first class with me. I wasn’t really that up or down. It was about getting fit and taking it from there.
“I’m delighted to get it done and create that stability. Brendan texted me just to say ‘Congratulations, you really deserve it’.
“He said he was happy for me. I just sent him a text back saying ‘Thanks very much for everything you have done as well’.”
New deal doesn’t necessarily stop Leicester
The new deal is a statement of intent from both the player and Celtic. It’s effectively both parties saying that they’re happy with how things are, and that the player’s future is at Parkhead.
But what it doesn’t do is halt Leicester from throwing £20m or so at Celtic in the summer and asking them to think it over. If they truly want McGregor, they can still get him. As is the case with many of Celtic’s best players, he comes at a high price.
Celtic can now be as relaxed as they possibly could ahead of the January window. They simply don’t need to sell the Scotland international. All the cards are in Peter Lawwell’s hands should negotiations start up. If Leicester want to take CalMac south, it’s going to seriously hit their pockets.
And in a world where footballers seem to gravitate to where the money is, it’s a refreshing piece of business by Celtic.
Already this season, McGregor has played a total of 28 appearances for club and country respectively. 24 of those have been at least 90-minute appearances. This follows on from his superb run of 69 games last season.
He’s been an absolute machine for Celtic. Tying him up was a no-brainer, and even if Leicester come back in either in January or the summer, Celtic deserve credit for getting this done.
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