Celtic’s ever-improving midfielder admits he has taken his game to another level under Brendan Rodgers – a Scotland debut feels closer than ever.
At the start of the season, there weren’t too many Celtic supporters championing Callum McGregor’s inclusion in the starting XI.
However, after just one season under Brendan Rodgers, the 23-year-old has evolved from misfit midfielder into a new fans favourite at Parkhead. While Stuart Armstrong is arguably the most improved Celtic player since the Northern Irishman took charge, giving McGregor the tools to prove the cynics wrong is perhaps one of Rodgers’ greatest achievements north of the border.
After McGregor played a starring role in last week’s 5-0 thrashing of Hearts at Tynecastle, securing the title for Celtic in the process, the former Liverpool boss stated that the dynamic midfielder would earn a place in the Scotland squad sooner rather than later.
And McGregor, who has not been called up since 2014, agrees that he has developed sufficiently under Rodgers to earn international honours after enjoying his finest season in the first-team.
“I’d certainly feel better equipped to go back into the Scotland squad now,” the Glasgow-born midfielder, who has played almost 100 games for Celtic, told the Daily Record.
“When the manager came in, the club shifted up a few levels. I’ve played a lot of games and it’s been great to be part of. I feel my own game has come on a lot tactically. I definitely feel I’ve learned a lot from the gaffer.”
McGregor struggled for game time under former Celtic manager Ronny Deila last season and, with a number of supporters questioning his quality, it appeared that he may have been further marginalized once Rodgers arrived at Parkhead.
However, after impressing once again in Saturday’s 3-1 win against Kilmarnock and grabbing his eighth assist of the season, there’s a growing realisation among Celtic supporters that maybe they were a little quick to judge.
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