Celtic captain Callum McGregor has made his expectations clear.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Bhoys’ clash with Jablonec tomorrow night, the Celtic captain was asked about his post-match huddle and the mood of the camp. Talking like a true captain, McGregor used some stirring words.
Platitudes about commitment are ten-a-penny in football. However, the Celtic captain McGregor sounded determined about what he demands as the new skipper.
McGregor said [Celtic FC]:
“I think certainly, for this football club, we need players that are 100% focused on winning games for Celtic, doing the best they can for their career. In turn, that helps everybody perform and get to a level where we can be successful.
“The club will continue to try and make as many players feel as comfortable and as wanted as possible. Then it’s our job, as footballers, to go out there and give absolutely everything for the jersey until that’s no more.
“We have a responsibility to the supporters, to this club, to the badge, that every time we set foot on that pitch, we give absolutely everything. That’s what I want from the players, and from the club.”
Celtic captain Callum McGregor on transfer speculation
Asked whether he speaks to players who might be considering a future elsewhere, McGregor said [Celtic FC]:
“I speak to all the players, pretty much every day. We’ve got a great group of guys in the building, boys that are desperate to do well.
“I want to be successful as a footballer. I’m sure everybody wants to be successful. Then that, in turn, will make this club successful. Those conversations on a daily basis are actually pretty easy.”
It seems strange now, but there was legitimate debate about whether or not McGregor could adequately step up to wearing the armband. Naturally, there are leaders around the dressing room.
The likes of Christopher Jullien and James Forrest know the expectation of the club. Meanwhile, new arrivals like Joe Hart, Carl Starfelt and James McCarthy can chime in with their own vast experience.
But McGregor plays and talks like the man. He couldn’t have had a better apprenticeship under Scott Brown, for all those years. However, he’s his own person, and has the Celtic-obsessive childhood that Broony didn’t have. He has grown up knowing exactly what Celtic Football Club means.
And that’s how he comes across. It’s excellent to hear, and it’s all the better to see him taking games by the scruff of the neck, and leading by example.
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