Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has an ideal amount of squad depth, even if he is prompted to make tough decisions every week when putting together his starting line-up.
With eight players joining the Bhoys in the summer, the Irishman has competition for places across the board, fulfilling his ambition of having a 25-man squad to pick from after balancing shrewd recruitment with several outgoings.
Ultimately, his work in the window has paved the way for early season success. Celtic are unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership, while their advances in the Champions League can be attributed to a higher calibre of player starting or supplementing his side from the bench.
While the manager deals with selection dilemmas, it is up to the players to create points of contention. Of course, every boss has their favourites, but Brendan Rodgers has shown he isn’t afraid to switch things up when required.
Now, Callum McGregor has given an insight into the strength of the Celtic squad and how the players feel internally regarding their opportunities to feature.
Callum McGregor on the competition for places at Celtic
Speaking to The Daily Record, McGregor is adamant that competition across the Celtic squad is critical to their chances of success, but believes everyone will have their part to play in achieving that over the coming months.
“I think the gaffer’s built a really strong squad here. He’s got options, and obviously the guys that are in the team and they do well, they want to stay in, and the guys that are on the side, they’re desperate to get in and help the boys as well.
“I’ve always spoken about it, competition for places. It’s a strong squad; it’s exactly what you need, especially at this point in the season.
“And, obviously, when we come back from the international break, we’ll need every single player.”
Celtic always need a strong squad to win silverware
In the modern game, most successful clubs have to rely on a larger squad than in previous years due to the increased volume of matches and the potential for injuries and suspensions to occur.
Celtic have managed their workload in commendable fashion this term, but they have also encountered injury problems, with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Greg Taylor and the club captain all spending time on the sidelines.
Fortunately, their replacements have still been able to carve out a steady stream of results. Regardless, it shows the need for strong characters who can come in at short notice to maintain standards.
As supporters, there are few more satisfying aspects of following a club, especially when the contribution of those from the fringes can play a crucial role in silverware making it’s way to Parkhead further down the line.
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