Martin Compston and Joe Hart react to Celtic captain's new contract on Insta

By Euan Davidson

September 24, 2021

Line of Duty star Martin Compston and Celtic star Joe Hart have teamed up.

Not for a gritty new BBC drama, or an Irvine Welsh adaptation, sadly. Instead, they’ve joined the chorus of support for Celtic captain Callum McGregor, who’s just signed a new deal with the club.

Today, the Bhoys announced that McGregor would be staying until 2026 [Celtic FC]. It means that the captain will be dedicating his peak years to the club, in a career already littered with medals.

The club made the announcement on Instagram, and immediately racked up numbers.

Celtic fan and popular actor Compston was typically enthusiastic in his response. The Hoops fan said “Yassss the skipper”, while ‘keeper Joe Hart commented “Love it.”

Compston and Hart join Ange Postecoglou and the Celtic supporters en masse in their appreciation for the club’s business today.

The epitome of a captain who leads by example, McGregor has enjoyed some emphatic early successes with the armband.

He was instrumental against AZ Alkmaar, as well as big domestic wins against Dundee, Ross County and St Mirren.

He’s missed the last few games with hamstring problem, however. His absence has been extremely notable, with Ismaila Soro and James McCarthy filling in.

Actor Martin Compston knows his stuff – McGregor is vital to Celtic

McGregor is truly integral to how Ange Postecoglou wants to set up his team. HIs durability has been beyond reproach for years, making his current injury absence all the more incongruous.

In prior seasons, he’s barely missed a minute. He played over 4,200 minutes for Celtic in 20-21, over 4,600 in 19-20, and already, over a 1,000 in 21-22 [Transfermarkt].

Since Ronny Deila gave McGregor his first exposure to first-team football, he’s never looked back.

In a sense, this contract news is the perfect antidote to the injury concerns around him, currently.

It’s also exciting to speculate who might be next up for a new contract. Anthony Ralston and James Forrest are both fellow ex-Academy talents who need new deals.

In the meantime, it’s a night for celebration. If McGregor wanted to throw a party, there’s a certain actor he could ring up…

In other news: SPFL confirm brutal fixture change for Celtic supporters