One former Celtic goalkeeper has expertly summed up why captain Callum McGregor’s decision to retire to Scotland cannot be countered.
McGregor called time on his Scotland career on Friday after earning 63 caps for his country between 2017 and 2024.
He played in two major competitions for the national team and scored Scotland’s first major tournament goal since Ally McCoist in 1996 when netting against Croatia at Euro 2020.
McGregor’s decision was met with respect by Steve Clarke and will benefit Celtic in the future which Brendan Rodgers alluded to after the announcement.
One of Celtic’s most decorated players of all-time, McGregor had this to say about his retirement: “I have made a decision which was very difficult, of course, but a decision which I feel is the right one at the right time.
“It was very important I spoke to Steve and I did that this week to make him aware of my intentions. As I said to Steve, I just felt the time is right for me to move on from international football.”
Alan Rough on McGregor retirement
McGregor’s commitment to both Celtic and Scotland for such a long period of time has to be commended.
Juggling both deserves plenty of dedication and effort which cannot be underestimated when speaking about Callum McGregor.
And that’s the point former Celtic goalkeeper Alan Rough was essentially making on the latest PLZ Soccer show when asked his thoughts on McGregor’s announcement.
Rough explained that McGregor has been racking up a humungous number of games per season for a good while now and eventually, something’s got to give.
The 72-year-old said: “He’s 32 and done his bit. I think he’s about the only player in Scotland who has been playing 50 or 60 games a season for a long, long time.
“That’s got to take its toll at some stage and you’ve got to say to yourself, ‘the club pay me, I love club, I want to play for the club as long as possible’.
“Playing for Scotland curtails that by a couple of years. I wouldn’t think anybody would have a bad word to say about Callum calling it a day.
“There are a lot of Scottish players who do call it a day when you could have something to say about them.”
Rough hits the nail on head
McGregor feels it’s the right time to call it quits for Scotland and you can only help feel that the number of games he plays per season at his age is a factor in that.
Scott Brown did the same thing when Celtic captain, albeit moving back into the international fold to help Scotland in their failed quest for 2018 World Cup qualification.
Rough is spot on with his assessment. McGregor has done enough in a Scotland shirt to justify this decision and he’s well deserving of a bit more time across a season to look after himself more carefully.
It’s a fantastic decision for Celtic and will only give McGregor a greater chance of prolonging his career at Parkhead and perhaps becoming the most successful Celt there’s ever been come the end.
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