Celtic captain Callum McGregor is now well into his third season with the armband at Parkhead after replacing Scott Brown.
The Scotland international swept five out of a possible six trophies under Ange Postecoglou and now looks set to get his hands on the Scottish Premiership in Brendan Rodgers’ first full campaign back in charge.
With two league matches to go, Celtic hold a six-point advantage and a superior goal difference to their city rivals. If Rangers fail to win against Dundee at Ibrox, they could be crowned champions as early as tomorrow evening.
Despite recovering from the lingering effects of an Achilles injury, McGregor has been a constant in the heat of battle this term, registering two goals and six assists across 42 appearances encompassing all competitions [Transfermarkt].
Rodgers and his skipper hold a deep bond that stems from their first time working together in Glasgow’s east end, where the pair won seven trophies before the former departed for Leicester City.
Now, McGregor is the man charged with instilling a winning mentality in the dressing room alongside the Irishman, something he has vowed to deliver on in the last three matches of the season.
Callum McGregor lauds ‘outstanding’ boss Brendan Rodgers
Success never comes easy in football, and Celtic have had to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in at times despite not being at their fluid best to secure vital results this campaign.
Speaking to Sky Sports Scotland, McGregor expressed his appreciation for Rodgers, indicating he has done an ‘outstanding’ job at the club in light of fighting injury issues and ‘difficult circumstances’ to put the Bhoys on the cusp of league glory.
Describing the manager as a ‘pillar of strength’, he stated: “He’s been outstanding. Difficult circumstances, big injuries to key players as well, and he’s been amazing.
“He’s always been a pillar of strength for the club and (provides) calmness; he was that when he was here the first time and even more so the second time.
“He trusts the process, stays calm, and he looks for his experienced players to lead the way, and I think we’ve done that. Hopefully, everything’s come together in the last four to five weeks, and we can have a positive end to the season.”
Celtic have needed to keep faith in the process this season, sticking to their guns even when times got a little tougher than usual at Parkhead.
McGregor and several others have been crucial to that, and hopefully, they can be the men to ensure the Bhoys finish on as a strong a footing as possible in Rodgers’ first full campaign back in the saddle.