Both on and off the pitch Callum McGregor is an intelligent footballer. On it he is a tactically astute, incredibly fit and creative player. One who reads the game several moves ahead, is equally adept in several positions and someone who despite rarely being unavailable for selection when he is his absence is acutely felt, as we’re finding now.
Meanwhile off the pitch McGregor handles himself well. He is eloquent when talking to the press, keen to be involved with his off the pitch duties as a Celtic player and one who whilst being polite and thoughtful in his dealings with others gives little away.
There were doubts in some quarters as to whether this quietly spoken approach could transfer to replacing the previous leadership qualities as captain of the club, but despite being a very different player and character from Scott Brown he leads as much by example, though in a very different way, as Scott Brown ever did.
McGregor of course recently signed a five-year contract with Celtic and in doing so committed his peak years, as he did those before it, to Celtic. This you’d imagine despite opportunities to make the moves to some of the biggest league Europe has to offer. As such you can add loyalty to the extensive list of qualities Callum McGregor has evidenced over his time as a Celtic player.
But Callum McGregor is not only a Celtic player he is also a Scotland international and has always appeared, despite a long period without due recognition at that level, as a player proud to wear the colours of his country as much as those of his club.
For some Callum McGregor’s recent inclusion in the Scotland squad, something the national manager admitted was a gamble, has become a bone of contention amongst the support when really it should be nothing of the sort. It has been said Postecoglou or Celtic themselves should put their foot down and if, as he will on Thursday, miss out on Celtic’s starting XI at Pittodrie on Sunday, that the club should make it clear that Callum McGregor should be nowhere near the Scotland squad for the upcoming qualifiers, however that undermines the intelligence of McGregor himself.
Firstly, no matter what Postecoglou or anyone else at Celtic says regarding McGregor’s inclusion in the squad or starting line-ups for Scotland’s qualifiers their words mean little. Once included in the Scotland squad it in theory is down to the Scotland medical staff to decide if McGregor is fit enough to play some part in the double header against Israel at Hampden or the Faroe Islands three days later, but really that decision will come down to the player himself and it’s also why both the Celtic viewpoint or that of the Scotland camp will have no bearing on that decision.
Callum McGregor is intelligent enough and more than aware of what he is or isn’t physically capable of doing to make that decision for himself. McGregor will know just how acute Ange Postecoglou’s need is to have him fit and healthy for important games coming thick and fast. Meanwhile he’ll also be aware just how vital his partnership with Billy Gilmour beside him and John McGinn ahead of him is to Scotland’s midfield as the national team look to qualify for the Qatar World Cup and break a 23-year tradition of non-participation in the biggest tournament in the world.
Yet McGregor is more than capable of making those choices, balancing priorities and essentially ensuring that whatever way it lands he is entirely fair on himself, his club, his country and the bigger picture. Get it wrong, gamble with fitness, and McGregor may find his injury impacts on his season more than these few weeks. As such his importance to Celtic could be severely impacted, as could his chances of playing a further part in Scotland’s qualification hopes. Yet if he feels he is fit enough whether he plays against Aberdeen or not then Callum McGregor will be fit enough, no questions asked.
There are some players who perhaps would require such a decision to be debated between the two parties in that regard but not Callum McGregor. He will know his body and do what is right. And if he plays against Aberdeen or if he doesn’t, the choice as to whether he is fit enough to play for Scotland will be based on the circumstances on the day he has to make that decision.
I’m more than comfortable that Callum McGregor won’t put club before country or country before club, he will simply use his own experience and intelligence to make the correct decision. After all that is the reason he is Celtic’s captain in the first place.
Niall J
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