Derby Delight

Callum McGregor has enjoyed recent games against Rangers, and is looking forward to this weekend’s league clash

- Mark Henderson

A MAJOR  milestone in any Celtic player’s career is starting their first Glasgow derby. Some have wilted under the immense hype, pressures and expectations which surround the high-profile fixture – but Callum McGregor has proved he can thrive in this testing environment.

The 23-year-old was handed a starting berth by Brendan Rodgers in the Hogmanay meeting of the city rivals at Ibrox this season. Going behind to an early goal from Kenny Miller was not an ideal start for McGregor or his team-mates, but they showed character, resilience and quality to eventually run out 2-1 winners.

He’s followed that up with another start and his first goal against the Ibrox side, producing a magnificent finish to put Celtic 1-0 up in the Scottish Cup semi-final clash at Hampden last Sunday and on the way to a place in the final and the chance to secure a domestic treble.

Now, as he reflects on his recent derby experiences, McGregor is also looking forward to the last instalment of the derby for this season when the sides meet at Ibrox this Saturday

“It was my first start in a Glasgow derby, and it was the first time the club had been back at Ibrox for a number of years,” he told the View in an exclusive interview. “It was a really big day for the club and obviously for me personally, and it was great to come out with the victory, while the way we played as well was excellent.