“He’s an amazing kid with an amazing attitude,” Calmac praises Colby Donovan

It may well have just dawned on Callum McGregor that he’s now reached the veteran stage of his playing career and that’s as a result of watching with appreciation an admiration for a 19 year old breaking into the Celtic first team and impressing everyone from the Celtic manager, the skipper and everyone else who has watched Colby Donovan play in the Hoops.

“It shows my age when I see players like Colby coming through now! He’s been fantastic since he came in,” Calmac said as reported by Newsquest owned TCW. The Celtic captain was refecting on Donovan’s European debut in Belgrade last midweek before he was rested by the manager at the weekend after playing five games in quick succession, two on international duty with Scotland and three for Celtic.

You’d expect to see Colby back in the team on Thursday night at Celtic Park for the match against Portuguese side Sporting Braga.

“To come into that hostile environment (Belgrade) and play the way he did, with the quality and confidence he’s got, just speaks volumes about him,” Callum McGregor said.”He’s really enjoying his time, and we just need to keep on him and keep him hungry — which he will do. He’s an amazing kid with an amazing attitude.

“So, as many games as he can get, he’ll just get better and better. He’s got a real chance. He has no fear, and that’s what you get with young lads when they come in — they don’t really realise where they are. At one point, I thought he might be a bit shy, but he’s come in and he backs himself — in a good way, not in an arrogant way at all.”

McGregor added: “He knows he’s a good player, but he’s the first to help, he’s the first to be asking questions. He wants to learn, so he’s shown the right attitude as well. He’s just an amazing kid, and someone you want to do really well.

“So, I’m hoping he goes on and makes a few more appearances. You need something a bit special — just that presence and personality when you go on the pitch — and he certainly has that. I think that, coupled with hard work and the right attitude, will stand you in good stead.

“When you look at the senior players and the guys that have played so many games, it’s pretty much always the same type of player and the same type of guy — someone who just wants more and more and keeps working. So, he’s certainly in that mould as well.

“As much as we can try and help him — that’s our job.”

A Celtic Star in the making is young Colby and he’s also a welcome boost for the Celtic Academy to see one of their own make a major impact in the first team. Expect him to start on Thursday night.

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