CELTIC captain Callum McGregor will have no problem travelling to Australia for the Sydney Super Cup should Scotland fail to make the World Cup, describing the event as a ‘great opportunity’.
Both Celtic and Rangers supporters have held protests against the friendly tournament due to take place in November, with the first Old Firm fixture held outside Scotland due to take place as the showpiece fixture of the competition.
Celtic fans displayed banners at the recent game against St Mirren making it clear to their board that there was widespread opposition to that friendly among the wider support, while Rangers fans twice delayed their game against Dundee at the weekend by throwing toilet paper and tennis balls onto the pitch in protest at the match.
But McGregor says that it makes sense for the club to try to cash in on the popularity of manager Ange Postecoglou and midfielder Tom Rogic in their homeland, and that he too would relish the ‘exciting’ chance to go and play for Celtic in Australia, should he not be heading to Qatar with Steve Clarke’s national team squad instead.
“Hopefully with the games that come around we are successful and reach the World Cup,” McGregor said.
“That would be an amazing achievement as a young Scottish player to go and play and represent your country at a World Cup. There wouldn’t be a better feeling than that.
“For the club it’s also a great opportunity for us to maximise our commercial appeal with the manager and guys like Tom (Rogic) who have a huge fanbase in Australia. So that’s a really exciting prospect for the club as well.
“Wherever I am come next November and December then I’ll be looking forward to either one.”
McGregor is currently with the Scotland squad preparing for Thursday night’s friendly against Poland, before Clarke’s side travel to either Austria or Wales for another game next Tuesday.
Celtic then have two matches against Rangers to contend with in a two-week spell, with a game against St Johnstone sandwiched in between as the title race enters its final stretch.
McGregor is no stranger to a hectic schedule, playing more competitive minutes than any other player in world football during season 2018/19, so he looking forward to the challenge despite already making 49 appearances for club and country so far this season.
“That’s just part of football now,” he said.
“If you want to do well in these competitions then you have to play every three or four days.
“Teams are used to it now. They are in European competitions pretty much every season. Players are used to playing 60-plus games a season.
“If you want to be a top footballer then you want to be involved in these things, you want to go to tournaments at the end of the season and play in as many European games as you can because it makes you a better player.
“I don’t see it as a problem at all.'
McGregor might have played even more games but for a hamstring injury in the early part of the campaign and the double cheekbone fracture he suffered against Alloa in January.
Despite a quickfire return from that injury, McGregor is still required to wear a protective facemask, and he has no idea when it might be safe for him to dispense with it.
For now, given he feels there is no negative impact on his peripheral vision while playing with the mask on, he is happy to err on the side of caution.
“I’m just trying to take it every day at a time,” he said. “It’s been six plus weeks and feels much better than it did previously.
“I will just see how I go and get to a point where I don’t need it. Probably the first game I take it off someone will bang me in the jaw. That’s sod’s law!
“It’s been alright. It’s contoured to my face so the eye bits pretty much sit perfect on the eyes which takes out that peripheral problem.
“I was worried about that to begin with but I trained with it for a couple of days and was absolutely fine.”
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