Matt O'Riley says Celtic skipper Callum McGregor is good enough to play alongside Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in Real Madrid’s midfield.
The Parkhead star believes he’s now on a par with players of that ilk after a brilliant display for Scotland against Spain in midweek. O’Riley has been hugely impressed by McGregor since arriving at Celtic just over a year ago. And he’s adamant that he wouldn’t look out of place in the company of Modric, Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni in Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded Real side.
O’Riley said: “If I’m being completely honest, I think Cal is at a similar level now (to those players). Respectfully, if he was put into a team like Real Madrid I think he’d fit in pretty easily. I have played with a lot of good players and Cal is definitely up there with the best of them. He’s a very important player and captain of the club. On top of that, he’s a genuinely nice guy as well.
“We’re lucky to have him at Celtic. I saw he was bursting through Spain players after 90 minutes on Tuesday night which just sums him up. I was really happy for him and for Scotland.”
Celtic’s face Ross County in the Premiership today and Staggies boss Malky Mackay has claimed McGregor is so good that bids must have been received by Celtic for him. Hoops gaffer Ange Postecoglou refused to rule that out but says he’s grateful that his leader won’t be going anywhere.
He feels McGregor’s game can still go to an even higher level than it is now. Postecoglou said: “That’s something I wouldn’t entertain. When the club talks to me about any bids, I usually say my phone’s not working.
“But that wouldn’t surprise me with Callum. He’s shown he can play at the very highest level. But I still think his best football is ahead of him because he’s growing in stature all the time.
“There’s nothing I see within him that’s going to slow him down. He’s proven that he can play at the highest level. Thankfully for us, he’s really committed to this club. In today’s football, to have that kind of individual who still loves playing for the club he grew up with - and his ambition is still to make Celtic as successful as possible - is fantastic for us.”
O’Riley, who is in contention to start against County today with Aaron Mooy recovering from injury, says he’s learned how to be a holding midfield player by watching McGregor in action. He said: “You learn different things that you can add to your game.
“It helped having Cal there to give me certain tips on it because he has played the position so much. I would say I’m probably better defensively now than before I started playing that role which is a real positive for me.”
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