Neil Lennon lauds ‘very special’ Celtic star who is like Brendan Rodgers on the pitch after Scottish Cup win

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Celtic’s quest to win another Treble is well and truly on.

Brendan Rodgers’ side made sure they didn’t slip on a second banana skin when facing St Johnstone in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

That defeat in Perth would have still been fresh in everybody’s mind, but Celtic put five goals past St Johnstone at Hampden to ensure normal service resumed.

Celtic will now face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final, after they required extra time to see off nine-man Hearts only 24 hours before.

This is now the Hoops’ biggest game before the season draws to a close because it’s only a matter of time before the Premiership title is wrapped up.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	CelticCeltic	33	26	3	4	97	22	75	81
2	RangersRangers	33	20	6	7	68	35	33	66
3	HibernianHibernian	33	14	11	8	54	41	13	53
4	Dundee UtdDundee Utd	33	14	8	11	41	40	1	50

In these big moments and big games, you need your pressure-loving players to step up, and Rodgers has that in abundance within his squad.

• READ MORE: Alistair Johnston gives Player of the Season shouts to Celtic duo outside of Daizen Maeda

Neil Lennon gives his flowers to Callum McGregor after Celtic beat St Johnstone in Scottish Cup semi-final

Callum McGregor opened the scoring with a clever finish, and that got the ball rolling for the Treble-chasers, as St Johnstone just couldn’t live with their opponents.

Neil Lennon had the privilege of managing McGregor during his time in the Celtic Park dugout, and he lauded the 31-year-old as a ‘very, very special player’.

The Hoops legend explained how McGregor is like Rodgers on the pitch, because of how he runs the show from the middle of the park, as he told Premier Sports (20/04/25 at 5:15 pm).

“Callum’s IQ is so high,” said Lennon. “He is a coach on the pitch, and he has been for a long, long time.

“It’s no secret that this trophy haul is racking up. It’s done with hard work. Dedication to his game and to the club. He is a very special, special player.”

Will McGregor go into coaching after he retires?

Celtic fans are hoping that McGregor stays on the field for plenty more years yet, but when he does hang up his boots, will coaching be the next step for him?

Scott Brown has gone down the coaching road, as did Lennon himself, including success in the colours of Celtic.

And Lennon thinks that there is every chance McGregor can follow in those footsteps.

“Oh, no question,” added Lennon about McGregor coaching one day. “If he wants. It’s up to him. He is playing in that position now. We all do it. You go from like an attacking midfielder, then you see (the whole picture).

“He is engaged with everything and connected with everyone. He is a big game player and has always been.”