Callum McGregor opens up on the “honest conversation” he had with Celtic staff

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Seeing Celtic captain Callum McGregor in a mask has become quite normal for Hoops fans over the last couple of months.

After picking up a facial injury in the Scottish Cup against Alloa Athletic, there were real fears about how long the Celtic captain might be out. We’ve seen the impact these kinds of injuries can have; just ask Ryan Christie, Kieran Tierney or Henrik Larsson. It’s no fun.

McGregor was, as per, desperate to get back playing for Celtic, regardless of the extent of the injury. But it wasn’t just about him. The captain was more than aware that if anything went wrong, and the injury was worsened despite the protection, nobody would be pointing fingers at him.

Celtic captain McGregor said [Scottish Daily Mail, print edition 18/3, p.86]: “It is a very, very thin line with no margin for error.

“But the club and the medical staff who dealt with me said: “Look, if we get to a point where we think you can’t play, then you are not playing”. They had to sit me down and have that honest conversation.

“I think you have to respect that because it’s their profession and speciality and their livelihoods and reputation on the line.

“Touch wood, if anything did go wrong, then these are the people who would be asked questions. That’s not fair on them, so as much as I wanted to put myself out there for the team, they made sure that it was absolutely safe for me to do it before they allowed it to go ahead.”

Celtic captain Callum McGregor and his honesty are commendable, but he’s right about where blame would lie

We’re still not out of the woods, in a sense, with Callum McGregor’s injury. These things take several weeks to heal. He’ll likely still have the mask on for a few games yet.

In fairness, the Phantom of the Opera look suits him. He’s been excellent in recent games, scoring goals and, as per usual, dictating the tempo for Celtic. Still, he’s right, if anything went wrong, the furore would be considerable.

There’d be fingers pointed at the medical staff beyond anyone else. The unsung heroes behind the scenes would be the subject of overwrought analysis, simply for providing Callum McGregor with a choice to make. That wouldn’t be fair at all.

To his credit, it’s typical of Callum McGregor to put some positive spotlight on the folk that don’t usually receive it. He’s like his manager in that respect; willing and ready to commend those who don’t garner column inches or much awareness for their roles at Celtic.

If Callum McGregor worsened his injury, he’d be out of the team. That’d be the repercussions for him. For the medical staff, though, it’d be far more serious, and there’d be media sniping, calling for heads and all the rest of it. The Celtic captain knows that.

Classy stuff as usual from the Celtic captain, who’ll probably be donning that mask for a wee while yet.

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