CALLUM McGREGOR says that Celtic are hoping to pull Real Madrid out of the hat in the Champions League, with the club captain aiming for personal redemption against Luka Modric.
McGregor has come up against most of the continent's top teams during his time with Celtic, but is desperate to tick off playing at the Santiago Bernabeu from his footballing bucket list.
And he would also relish the opportunity of testing himself against Real's midfield maestro once again after he put on a masterclass to help Croatia dump Scotland out of Euro 2020.
When asked by Celtic TV who he was hoping to face, McGregor said: "Everybody keeps asking me that.
"I’ve played in some pretty big ones but the one I haven’t played yet is Real Madrid and I think everyone will join me in saying that they want them in the group.
"[Modric] ran the show that day as well [when Croatia beat Scotland] so I will try and get a bit closer to him!
"We are looking forward to it. Whoever we get we know it is a big competition and it will be a big test for us, so we have to be ready.
"[Champions League nights] are special. As a football player it is the number one competition that you want to play in.
"It’s a huge, huge level and a huge challenge – and it certainly makes you a better player.
"I’m excited for this group to go in and challenge ourselves at the very highest level. It is an exciting thing for the group but ultimately we have to do the hard work and that’s the reward."