Given the sacrifices being Celtic captain demands, Callum McGregor admits there is an element of relief to seeing a title success over the line.
On Sunday, the midfielder made it back-to-back Premiership crowns since being handed the armband by Scott Brown, and says that although it’s a demanding job, he relishes the pressure of delivering silverware for an expectant fanbase.
Any such sacrifices are, in McGregor’s mind, well worth it when the culmination of hard work are the joyous scenes between players and supporters seen at Tynecastle on Sunday.
“I think there will be some relief,” said the 29-year-old, celebrating the eighth title of his career. “This job takes a lot out of you and there are a lot of sacrifices – but I love it. I love the pressure of it, being in the dressing room with the players and trying to help as many people as I can as part of the team unit.
“It makes me strive to be successful. When the objective is achieved, you are quietly a little bit relieved.
“It’s all worth it for those scenes at the end. That’s why we play football, it’s to give the supporters moments like that with the players.
“No matter what you do, in 20 or 30 years you can look back on it as a special time. You’re in the dressing room with a group of guys who have done something special.”
There are still four Premiership matches to be played for Celtic, and then there is the small matter of a Scottish Cup final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle to come at Hampden on June 3. It is why the title celebrations will be muted for now, and training will resume as normal on Monday morning, as per Ange Postecoglou’s orders.
But McGregor joked he will, at least, treat himself to a cup of tea.
“It’ll be a quiet one as we are in on Monday,” he said. “I’ll maybe have a cup of tea. I might go crazy and put some sugar in it!
“We’re still working. We can enjoy it come the end of the season. You do have to allow yourself to enjoy it. This is football and it’s a really harsh environment at times.
“There’s a lot of pressure and expectation. When you achieve things, of course you have to enjoy them and pat yourselves on the back a little bit.
“But people always ask where the next one is coming from and you need to refocus your mind to go again. When you start the season you are playing and winning to get across the line.
“You don’t want to drop points or give anyone any encouragement. This is the moment everyone has been working towards from pre-season.”
