Stiliyan Petrov had insisted that Callum McGregor is paramount to Celtic’s quest for success again…
With news breaking that Ange Postecoglou wants to get the debut captain signed up on a long-term deal, Petrov admits it is hardly surprising. “Callum has been instrumental at Celtic – and not just this season. We’ve seen how much of a miss he is when he’s not there,” the former Celtic midfielder told Daily Record. “He has really matured as a player, you can see he leads the boys in the right way since he took over from Scott Brown as captain.He is a huge miss because he’s also one of the players who makes a difference in the big games.
“You can understand why Ange wants him to sign a new contract. Everyone wants to keep their best players –and he is one of the top guys. I really hope they can keep him for the long term.”
Callum has long since been courted by English eyes, including that of our former manager, Brendan Rodgers. The Leicester boss has had previous attempts thwarted trying to snare Celtic’s golden bhoy.
Petrov, however, insists that the allure of a league that captured his imagination 15 years ago won’t work it’s charm on Celtic’s new skipper. The former midfielder said: “I know there has been talk about England for a while but at this moment I think he understands his responsibility to lead this Celtic team.
“The club are going through a transition and they need someone who has been here a long time and understands the club. Callum is taking this role very seriously and I hope it continues.”
In the last two games Callum has been absent and it has really shown. The midfield miss not only his steadfast reliability, but his vision and exquisite touch and range of passing. If Celtic are to be successful on any front this season, Stiliyan is absolutely correct; Celtic need Callum McGregor indefinitely.
Paul Gillespie
