Callum McGregor’s comments on Thursday about his Celtic future were uncharted territory for the Hoops captain.
They reflected a player who has achieved it all domestically at Celtic, but still wants to go further, despite the twilight of his career approaching.
The tragedy of the situation is that he is doubtful over whether this ambition is truly reciprocated.
McGregor, the single most important contributor to Celtic over the last decade with 570 appearances in total, could not rule out leaving the club this summer.
What are your thoughts on Callum McGregor’s strong comments on his Celtic future?
Callum McGregor: I’ve been honest with Celtic board
McGregor said, via The Celtic Way: “I’ve always been the same, I want to be at Celtic. So, as long as the club want me here and as long as the club’s ambition matches my own, in terms of playing at the highest level.
“We have to continue to push and be as good as we can possibly be. I don’t want to sit here and be a Celtic captain who’s not winning anything. And I’ve been honest with everyone in that conversation.
READ MORE: Chris Sutton is either being honest or sensationalist with Celtic negativity
“The people inside the club know it. If we’re not going to be the best version of Celtic then I don’t want to be the guy who’s not winning any trophies. That’s not me and not who I am.”
They are undoubtedly his most striking ever comments as Celtic captain.
They also remind you of a certain man who spoke about a Honda Civic — and we all know how it ended when he spoke publicly about wanting the club to match his ambition.
Dermot Desmond essentially blamed Brendan Rodgers for all of the club’s problems after he resigned, but most of the accusations in his bombshell statement have rung hollow with Celtic fans.
Was John Kennedy self-serving too? And if McGregor is to call it quits this summer for the same reasons Rodgers did, will everything be his fault?
It couldn’t be clearer: concerns over the club’s ambition after repeated failures in the transfer window (and consequently, European competition) are shared by the most important people at the club.
The issue is that they aren’t shared by the most powerful people at the club.
What would you say to Dermot Desmond about Celtic’s transfer model now?
Callum McGregor’s message to the Celtic board
McGregor went on to say: “Everyone looks at the football department and says, ‘Right, okay, he’s accountable, he’s accountable, he’s accountable’.
“It has to be the same throughout the whole club.
“I think there has to be a continual push to be better. That ambition can’t change. You now have to double down on that and say, ‘Okay we need to make a statement here as a football club’.
“And hopefully that brings the feeling back alive again. Hopefully we can do our bit on the pitch and finish with two trophies. But there also has to be something to back that up as well.”
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