Craig Levein absolutely blown away by Celtic star; lauds him on BBC Sportsound

By David Walton

November 16, 2021

BBC pundit and former Hearts boss Craig Levein has lauded the performance of Callum McGregor in Scotland’s 2-0 win against Denmark last night.

McGregor was a key cog in Steve Clarke’s engine room as Scotland overcame World Cup-bound Denmark to book a home tie in the playoff semi-finals in March.

The Celtic fans were quick to hail McGregor’s influence in the middle of the park with so much of the praise often handed out to Billy Gilmour and John McGinn respectively.

But in fairness to Levein, he didn’t allow the night to pass without some class comments on the Celtic captain. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound programme last night, the former Scotland boss said: “He reads the game so well. For me, it’s his appreciation of second balls as well. You wouldn’t put him down as a defensive minded player, but he just understands it.

“He seems as if he can do just about anything in midfield. He can pass the ball, he can run with the ball, he can score, and he can defend. He appreciates that side of the game a little bit more, the defensive side of things.

“He just reads the game so well.”

Callum McGregor an important asset to Celtic and Scotland

It was almost like watching an artist in motion when you watched McGregor’s performance last night. He may not be the Scotland captain, but his leadership qualities are consistently there for all to see. Especially when alongside Gilmour in the midfield.

We don’t want to make out as if Celtic players don’t get credited when on international duty with Scotland. That’s unfair and delusional. But it feels as though Callum’s work does go a touch under the radar at times.

This is often because he puts plenty of emphasis on the defensive side of the game. He isn’t interested in simply pushing forward and doing the flashy stuff to catch the cameras’ lenses. He’ll happily sit back and do the hard grafting for the team.

This is shown in the fact he made 4 interceptions last night, more than anyone else in the Scotland team [WhoScored?]. He was instrumental in ensuring Denmark didn’t get any joy on the counter. Having a player like Callum in there is vital.

It’s great to see Levein highlight his influence here. He certainly deserves a bit more of the spotlight at times. He consistently gives Scotland his all and is a key component of Clarke’s midfield.

Last night, he showed just how good he can be against top-class international rivals.

In other news, Celtic boss looks set to receive terrific international boost tonight