There isn’t a better man to be leading Celtic right now than Callum McGregor.
It wasn’t supposed to be easy taking over from the legendary no-nonsense Scott Brown, but McGregor has seemingly done that without any real bother.
Yes, Celtic missed out on the Treble last season by the skin of their teeth, and that penalty shootout defeat to Aberdeen is still probably stinging.
But Scotland’s most successful club still lifted two more trophies last term, and McGregor is one of the men who has played a huge part in this continued dominance from the Hoops.
Stiliyan Petrov on speaking with Callum McGregor about Celtic
Stiliyan Petrov understands what it feels like to put on the famous green and white colours, as the former midfielder proceeded to give McGregor his flowers.
The man who thrived under Martin O’Neill told Sky Sports Football (10/08/25) how much he appreciates the Celtic skipper, and that ‘his consistency has been incredible over the years.’
Petrov also shared that, when he spoke with McGregor, he was told, ‘first is the team, and I am after’, as that sums up the ‘leader’ he is.
“I love him,” stated Petrov about McGregor.
“He is a role model. I remember being with Celtic, and I spoke to him about his own performances and what he’s looking to achieve.
“He said, ‘first is the team, and I am after.’ This is a captain. This is a leader. He put the team first. He makes sure everybody does their job.
“But his consistency has been incredible over the years. I call him a big game player. He influences the big games.”
McGregor’s Celtic career in numbers
James Forrest is Celtic’s most decorated player of all time, and he rightfully got his flowers when he registered trophy number 26 last term.
But don’t forget about McGregor because he isn’t too far behind, with 24 honours, and given that he is a year younger than Forrest and still a key player for Celtic, then he might just sit at the top of the list by the time his career is over.
Either way, McGregor continues to write his name into the legendary books, as his career at his boyhood club is one of the best you will ever see.
- Games: 520
- Goals: 74
- Assists: 80
- Trophies: 24
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