The Team Player

Callum McGregor’s ability to play in many roles came once again to the fore on Saturday against Motherwell.

- Mark Henderson

NO-ONE better exemplifies the collective spirit at Celtic than Callum McGregor. It was summed up in space of nine days in late November when the central midfielder started for the Hoops at left-back, the right wing and then came off the bench at Hampden to help his team lift the first silverware of the season.

That was magnified on Saturday as he came off the bench against Motherwell at left-back, changed to midfield at the break and triggered Celtic’s comeback in the magnificent 4-3 win over Motherwell by scoring the Hoops’ first goal, and then returned to the defensive berth later in the game.

The 23-year-old may not have not garnered as many column inches as the goal-getters for Brendan Rodgers’ side but his contribution has certainly not gone unnoticed by the manager, who has made a point of acknowledging it in his post-match interviews.

Hearing such positive comments has provided further encouragement to McGregor as he bids to maintain his prominent place in the Brendan Rodgers revolution.

Having made just short of 20 appearances in all competitions, this season the Celtic Youth Academy graduate has been a key player in the champions’ dominant start to the domestic campaign.

He’s in a good place at the moment and his versatility and reliability will be crucial for the Bhoys during a congested December when they must contest a staggering nine fixtures. It will be a defining month of the season.

At the start of this festive frenzy, the View sat down with McGregor at Lennoxtown to hear his thoughts on League Cup success, team spirit and achieving a number of career firsts.

How did it feel to lift the first trophy of the season?