Celtic legend and Fleetwood Town manager Scott Brown has told BBC Sport Scotland that if he could pick one Celtic player to sign, it would be captain Callum McGregor – while also saying he would be open to signing James Forrest.
Brown has gone into management after retiring, following a brief stint at Aberdeen. Earning his badges and taking over at League One side Fleetwood, he has made a poor start – winning four of his side’s 19 league games this term.
But they have only lost five players, too. Indeed, he has made them hard to beat, drawing 10 games. Meanwhile, McGregor continues to captain Celtic to glory under Ange Postecoglou – with a second successive title looking likely.
McGregor has been pivotal to Celtic. Brown clocked up 619 appearances and £32k-a-week McGregor is well on his way to reaching that figure, with 387 under his belt. Asked if he could sign any Celtic player, Brown picked McGregor.
“Very good question. For his standards in training, his tempo, I would say Callum McGregor. I would take him or Jamesy [Forrest] all day long. If any of them want to come, it’s an option lads. A year’s loan?
“Callum’s drive and enthusiasm, I tried to drive everything as much as I could. When I was coming to an end, I was glad to offer Cal the captaincy because of his drive in training. He drives standards around the place.
“Did I play with better players? Possibly, van Dijk, Wanyama. For somebody to go and control a dressing room, it’s hard. He’s been a fantastic player for Celtic and a fantastic captain,” Brown told BBC Sport Scotland on Twitter.
Brown would sign Celtic captain McGregor if he could
McGregor looks as if he will be at Celtic for the entirety of his career. Indeed, if any Premier League clubs were going to sign him, you would suggest that that window may have passed – given McGregor will enter his thirties in June.
He is no longer a midfield general of an age where Premier League clubs will be interested. Certainly, not top-half clubs. His current deal is due to expire in 2026 – and he is more than likely to go on and stay at Celtic beyond that.
Can he overtake Celtic legend Brown? Without a doubt. Just 232 more appearances to go and if he remains injury free, he could easily surpass that if he remains first choice for the next five or six seasons. A huge achievement, if so.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
