Ange Postecoglou has joked he had no say in Callum McGregor’s injury return, with the Celtic captain deciding on when he was ready to make a comeback.
The 29-year-old returned to action against Aberdeen on Saturday after a three-month spell on the sidelines through injury.
And it couldn’t have been a much better return for McGregor, who scored the late winner in the Hoops’ 1-0 win at Pittodrie.
The midfielder also played the entire 90 minutes, which was his first since September after sustaining his injury against RB Leipzig early in October.
The World Cup winter break may not have been the most entertaining from a Celtic fan point of view, with no fixtures for over a month.
However, it did give the Celtic captain the ideal time to get back up to speed and ready for the second half of the campaign.
Speaking in an interview with Celtic TV, Ange Postecoglou joked that he had no say in McGregor’s return date, and it was the midfielder who was going to dictate when he was ready to return.
The Celtic boss also talked up the academy graduates’ overall performance at Pittodrie and praised his presence as a calm figure on the pitch.
He said [Celtic TV]: “No, Callum (McGregor) planned his comeback. I had no say in it, mate; he was going to tell me when he was ready.
“Yeah look, I think it’s fair to say that I think the break helped us there. Callum being Callum, he was keen to get back as quickly as possible, obviously.
“But having the break allowed him to sort of get reintegrated into the team with a couple of weeks of really good training. It started in Australia, and then in Portugal, then a week here.
“So I think that helped him sort of as much mentally as physically to prepare for what’s ahead, and he was ready to go (against Aberdeen).”
“It was a fantastic goal; just his overall performance, the way he controlled the game for us. On the sidelines, we’re obviously not able to control things once the game starts, so you need people out on the field who are gonna be calm in their demeanour, and Cal is certainly that.
“It was just a great reward for him. He’s worked very hard to get back in the team, and he made a significant contribution.”
Ange Postecoglou delighted to have captain and key presence back in the side.
Although the Bhoys didn’t miss McGregor on the domestic front, in terms of the results picked up during his time out, his performance on Saturday showcased why his presence in the side was certainly missed.
Ange Postecoglou is clearly delighted to have his captain back in action, and he was ready to reintroduce McGregor when he felt he was ready to go.
The Celtic manager clearly sees the midfielder as much more than just a quality player. He is also the presence that he relies on from the sidelines to continue spreading his message.
On Saturday, McGregor’s performance made it look like he was never away, and that just goes to show the quality that has thankfully returned to the Celtic squad.
He is now back in time for some crucial games over the winter period as the Hoops eye up further trophy success under the former Socceroos boss.
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