It was not his clean shaven, sharp haircut that drew the comparison with the shaggy bearded Joe Allen by Brendan Rodgers, but more the cut of his jib. The Celtic manager worked with Allen at Swansea before taking him to Liverpool and it is the willingness of both players to put their shoulder to the wheel for the good of the team that drew the admiration of the Irishman.
Certainly, a willingness to play wherever asked has had a positive trajectory on McGregor’s Celtic career this term. The midfielder has banked 40 appearances in all competitions, while it was only last month at Dens Park that he hit the century mark for the Parkhead club. McGregor has matured under Rodgers, but it was only on New Year’s Eve at Ibrox that the midfielder appreciated the trust his manager had in him.
“I spoke to the manager the week before that game and he said how I was part of his plans,” explained McGregor. “He said he wanted to me to go and kick on and it was a big game for me. He urged me to go and show people I could play.
“After that game it gave me the confidence I could play in one of the biggest games. That was the turning point for me and it’s been in my head ever since then to really go and kick on. We now go back there on Saturday and it’s funny how football works sometimes. There are games that stick in your head so I’ll go back there on Saturday with that good memory. Hopefully I’ll be full of confidence again.
“It is the big games where you are judged more often than not. To get that goal in a big game obviously does my confidence a lot of good. I will take that into the next game and the next few weeks and hopefully I can put in some big performances.”
McGregor has played various positions though the years at Celtic but is most comfortable in the central pastures where he has impressed of late. He enjoyed his goal at Hampden on Sunday – “I have watched it a fair few times now” – and the long-term picture for a player who has clocked up a century of appearances for the club is to stay front and centre in the picture.
Celtic are just one game away from claiming a domestic Treble for only the fourth time in their history and a willingness to go wherever asked seems like a small price to pay in order to be part of an historic campaign.
“If you can play in different positions it can ultimately help you get in the team,” he said. “I feel it’s good for me in that I’m relatively young and learning all these different positions playing at a high level.
“You sometimes have players who can only play in one position but I’m seeing the game from three or four different positions and trying to adapt, learn and take things in. I feel it’s good for my development.”
And Rodgers’ public praise – the Parkhead boss described him as “priceless” - of the player has not been lost on McGregor. Both Scott Brown and Rodgers have spoken of the influence that he has exerted on Celtic this season and certainly there is an energy about the player that lends itself to the way the Parkhead side look to penetrate teams.
“I’ve read the wee bits he’s been saying and that just gives me more confident to go and kick on,” acknowledged McGregor. “It makes a difference. You see a lot of the time that it’s the goalscorers who get the most praise. So for him to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective, it’s good for me.
“For me, he’s improved everything about my game. Technically and tactically I think everyone here has come a long way since the start of the season. I certainly think that myself. I feel I’m learning more and more every day.
“It‘s then great to put that into practise and see it coming together in a game like Sunday’s. It gives you massive confidence that what you’re doing is working.”
*Callum McGregor was promoting a 50th anniversary lunch with the Lisbon Lions. Supporters can book a special lunch on Friday May 26 at the Hilton Doubletree to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jock Stein's side winning the European Cup.
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