Champions League: “There’s no reason why we can’t go and make our mark,” Callum McGregor

Callum McGregor spoke to the media at Lennoxtown this afternoon ahead of the match against St Mirren on Sunday, which we now know will NOT feature Matt O’Riley as Celtic’s Player of the Year this evening is on the verge of joining Premier League side Brighton after they agreed a £30m transfer fee with Celtic.

Here’s everything that the Celtic captain had to say to the media…

“I think that the Feyenoord game on its own has been enough to give the boys the energy and belief that we are actually good enough to compete. The new format will change things slightly with the way teams play as well. There’s no reason why we can’t go and make our mark as well,” Callum McGregor

Q: How are things?

Callum McGregor: “All good, the football’s going well and I’m feeling in a good place. We just move on to the next game and try and give as good a performance as we have done since we came back for pre-season. Things are moving well and we’re just continuing to build on that as a group.”

Q: Has it sunk in that your Scotland national team chapter has closed?

Callum McGregor:  “I’ve been pretty comfortable with the decision since it has been made. There was a lot of back and forth and having chats with the people that matter. Once you arrive at the decision and call them it’s done. I’ve been fine with it since then and I’m just focusing on the football. Now I just focus on Celtic.”

Q: You must be happy with the start that Celtic have made – a marker laid down?

Callum McGregor: “Everything is going well at this point in time. We know how quickly things can change, so the biggest challenge for the group is to stay on top of that and keep the hunger, keep training properly and keep everybody in a good place playing for the team. Hopefully, that will continue the performance levels and the energy levels that we’ve shown so far. The next game at the weekend is an opportunity to show that.”

Q: Is St Mirren a tough test?

Callum McGregor: “Absolutely. They’ve done great over the last couple of seasons and they always give us tough games as well. When they set up, they can set up in a couple of different ways and we generally find it more difficult to play against that. Once we get into our rhythm and flow later on in games, then we’ve been able to kill games off. We know it will be a tough game again on a tighter pitch. It is up to us to start the game properly and get the tempo going by scoring early – if we do that it would be more of a comfortable afternoon than it could be.”

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Q: There’s been speculation surrounding a few players potentially leaving. Is that something that has an impact on the squad at all?

Callum McGregor: “It’s something we can’t control, really. As players, we have a good group and even the guys that are linked away are still training and are happy. They’re good people and treat others with respect. That’s all we can ask for as a group of players – that we treat each other with respect – and that when we get onto the training pitch we train as hard as we can to try and give the maximum that we can. Anything else is out of our control, really.”

Q: Have you been impressed with Matt O’Riley’s attitude? It has rumbled on for a few weeks. He’s looked seamless on the pitch.

Callum McGregor: “Exactly, and credit to him as well because a lot of chat cannot be easy. The group are trying to help him with that as well and give him the same environment to help him grow and play. Each day that he is here, we’re happy to have him here and want him here. He’s responded to it all fantastically well. Until that changes – if it does – then I’m sure he’ll keep giving the same and we’ll keep giving him the environment that he loves as well.”

Q: Because the start of the season has been so good, is the hope that whoever the rumours are about that they are here when the window closes in a couple of weeks?

Callum McGregor: “For sure. You want to keep your best players and naturally, they’ll attract attention which happens in football. It shows that you’re doing something right as well, which is good. For the group, staff and players I would imagine we want to keep our best players.”

Q: Do you get involved in that situation? You had a similar thing a few years ago – can you help him using your experience to guide him along the way?

Callum McGregor: “To be honest, he’s been great. I’m here for him if he needs that – I’ve said that to him as well. I don’t want to get involved and try and influence him either way and I don’t want him to think I have an agenda either way. He’s been fantastic for us and I’m here to help him. We’ve had a couple of chats but to be honest he’s been fantastic with the way he’s dealt with it. He’s treated everybody with respect and the way that he’s trained and played has shown that as well. Whatever happens will happen, and he can hold his head high because of the way he’s conducted himself.”

Q: With the great start to the season, it isn’t unfair to say the frustration from supporters has been the lack of transfers into the club. What would be your message to those fans who are getting a little bit tetchy with a week to go – and want to see the club doing more in the window?

Callum McGregor: “I think everybody wants the club to keep moving forward. The one thing we know about modern-day transfer windows is that it is tough to get business done – especially when everyone sees that you’re cash-rich and prices get inflated. It’s just patience and we’ve got to trust the guys upstairs to make the right calls to make the business happen that everybody wants to happen. As players, we don’t get involved too much. We try and train as hard as we can and when we come to the pitch we try to give the supporters what they want.”

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Q: Have you made plans for the international break? Is that quite a weird thing that you’re going to have a few days off so that you can do what you want?

Callum McGregor: “I’ve not made any plans yet – we’ve got two games before then that need our full attention. It will be slightly different of course but I’ll probably get a bit of time off. For the time being, I’m fully focused on the game at the weekend. I’ll continue on that route at the minute and then decide after that.”

Q: When you were having a conversation with Steve Clarke about it, did he try and persuade you to stay on or was it a case of respecting your decision? Was there a few talks?

Callum McGregor:  “No, we had the one chat and he was respectful to what I was saying to him on the phone. We’re both experienced people and I try to not be too high-maintenance as a player so I think when I gave him my thoughts then he was happy to respect that. I’ve got an enormous amount of respect for Steve and what he’s done for the national team and what he’s done for the national team as well.”

Q: Is it getting harder for players with the number of qualifiers to keep going internationally to the stage you’ve got to?

Callum McGregor:  “I think football is just like that. Even the guys that don’t have internationals, they’re still getting very minimal time off and the Champions League has been extended, as well as the UEFA competitions being extended. It’s getting busier and busier but it’s part and parcel of football really.”

Q: The manager says you never really switch off when you get a day off. Is it going to be a different mindset when you go into that week off?

Callum McGregor:  “Probably not, he’s probably spot on, to be honest. I’ll probably be thinking of the first game back straight away! It’s the way I’m wired, and I’ll try and enjoy it by taking a few days off and seeing what I get up to. We’re only at the start of the season so there’s a lot of work to be done and a lot of thought process into where we want to get to. That’ll be in the forefront of my mind as well.”

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Q: Did you know it was going to be your last time with Scotland going into the Euros?

Callum McGregor:  “Not really. It was a decision that I made after it and you get a feeling for these things. You’ve got to trust your instincts and that’s why I made the decision.”

Q: In the Champions League, you mentioned the excitement. From the players’ sense, is there a real opportunity to make a mark this season with that new format?

Callum McGregor:  “Yes. In theory, you’re playing more teams around your level and you have the glamour games as well. It’ll be a new format for everyone. Even if we were continuing with the old format, the win against Feyenoord at the end of the campaign probably gave the boys a shot in the arm, because for so long it was glorious failure. Losing the late goal against Lazio, the Atletico Madrid game finishes 2-2 when you do enough to win the game. I think that the Feyenoord game on its own has been enough to give the boys the energy and belief that we are actually good enough to compete. The new format will change things slightly with the way teams play as well. There’s no reason why we can’t go and make our mark as well.”

Q: Talk about Feyenoord, it was Matt O’Riley that set up that winning goal. Do you think from a selfish perspective it’s good to have these players with experience around for the new campaign?

Callum McGregor: “Absolutely. Experience at that level especially is vital. We try and keep as much of the group together as we can. Players like Matt will attract speculation and whatever happens there we might need to try and find the next one. If we can keep him then for sure that’s going to help the group. He’s a top player and made that impact in Europe last year. Everybody being together for another 12 months is hopefully going to put us on a better foot.”

ALSO AT LENNOXTOWN TODAY…Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media ahead of Sunday’s game against St Mirren…