Callum McGregor was the star man for Celtic in their win over RB Leipzig last night.
The versatile midfielder covered every blade of grass in the 2-1 victory. McGregor was everywhere for Celtic, and never gave the Leipzig players a moment’s peace.
He may not have been Celtic’s captain last night, but it was a captain’s performance McGregor gave for his team.
It was thought that Scott Brown’s absence from last night’s game may have had a negative effect on Celtic.
That was not felt thanks to the performance of McGregor in the engine room.
He has played on the wing, in the middle and at full back during his Celtic career.
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Last night he showed he can play in a deeper holding role against top quality opposition.
Manager’s man on the park
One thing from the game which was telling was what happened when Yossouf Mulumbu replaced James Forrest.
Instead of sending Mulumbu on with instructions to relay to the players, Brendan Rodgers signalled for the Scot instead.
When returning to his midfield base, McGregor was seen barking instructions to his team mates.
He was also revving them up for the last 10 minutes, not letting one player ease up during their incredible collective effort.
I lost count the amount of times it was him who made the vital challenge in midfield.
Leipzig attacked in numbers throughout the game, but they were usually met by a McGregor sized wall in midfield.
The best compliment that could be paid to the Celtic midfielder is to compare him to his captain.
It felt like we were watching a Scott Brown performance last night. Especially around the time Brown seized the initiative and matured into a terrific Celtic captain.