FORMER Rangers manager Alex McLeish will be leaning heavily on a large contingent of Celtic players now he has returned to lead Scotland, so it will be heartening for the national coach to hear that his appointment has been warmly received by the Scots in the champions’ squad.

Callum McGregor was often the man left behind at Celtic Park when international matches rolled around under the previous Scotland manager, Gordon Strachan, but his scintillating match-winning performance against Zenit in Thursday night’s Europa League made a mockery of the decision to overlook his talents for so long. After finally winning his first cap in the friendly against The Netherlands at Pittodrie in November, he is hoping to pull on the dark blue with more regularity during McLeish’s second reign.

“We heard just before kick-off [on Thursday] and we had to focus,” said McGregor. “We will probably speak about it more over the next couple of days, but the initial reaction is everybody’s happy with it.

“I think it is a good appointment. He has had the job before and has got massive experience. He knows Scottish football, he knows the players and when he had the job first time round we were decent and got some good results. So I think everything about it makes sense in terms of trying to take the country forward.

“I have not had any dealings with him yet. So, if I am selected in the squads I will be looking forward to getting to know him.

“I remember watching his Scotland teams. Obviously I was a bit younger but I remember we got some great results and got some great performances with Alex McLeish as our manager. If we can replicate that this time round hopefully we can get into a competition.

“I got my foot in the door last time and for me now it is just about trying to kick on and get more appearances.”

So keen is the 24-year-old to make up for lost time in the colours of his country, that he doesn’t baulk when the subject of the much-maligned summer tour of South America is broached.

“As footballers you want to play all the time, but especially to play for your country,” he said. “It is the highest honour you can have and definitely, if I am selected for the games, then I will be there.

“That’s the way football is now. You play 60-70 games, get two weeks off and then you are back in. I think that is just the way modern-day football is going.

“Years ago you would get five, six, seven weeks off but I think football has evolved in terms of your rest period and amount of games played. You have got to handle it if you want to be at the top level.”

McGregor sees no reason why he can’t help Scotland at that top level if given the chance, with a new-found maturity in his game as well as away from the field.

“I feel the international scene is the next level for me to try to progress,” he said. “Look after club football and nights like [the Zenit game] will certainly do no harm in terms of trying to push on.”