Celtic supporters have seen plenty of fan favourites move onto pastures new in recent years as players opt to move on to test themselves in a new environment or at a higher level.
It’s a process that underpins the Parkhead club’s entire transfer strategy and there is an acceptance from fans that whenever an up-and-coming talent stops off in Glasgow’s east end, they tend to be here for a good time and not a long time.
There is no shortage of examples to point to. Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk, Moussa Dembele, Jeremie Frimpong, Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard were all sold for a healthy profit after being unearthed by scouts and spending a few years plying their trade in Scotland. The policy extends to academy graduates, too: Kieran Tierney, Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney all departed their boyhood club driven by ambition to compete at a higher level.
Many of the Celtic support’s heroes have come and gone in recent years but there has been one constant throughout it all: Callum McGregor, the club’s seemingly indefatigable captain who has been an ever-present fixture in midfield for years now.
It is clear that McGregor casts a rather large shadow at Celtic Park. Barring a season-long loan at Notts County as he took his first steps in the senior game, the Scotland internationalist has devoted his entire club career to the same team. Whenever he decides to eventually hang up his boots, he will surely go down as one of the most decorated players in the cinch Premiership champions’ illustrious history.
The 2-0 victory over Dundee United last week represented another milestone for the Celtic captain, who made his 400th appearance in green-and-white in the fixture. Particularly in the modern era, with the nauseating sums of cash swilling around the English Premier League, such longevity in a single team is rare.
McGregor will have had offers to up sticks; Ange Postecoglou is convinced of that. But the Greek-Australian admits you would never know it as his captain isn’t exactly the type to be caught singing from the rafters. He prefers to quietly go about his business – as does his manager, in the hope that it will keep big-money offers from England away.
“Yeah, that’s probably why I don’t bump him up on a weekly basis,” Postecoglou joked.
“You know, I’m quite happy. But I think a lot of that is down to Callum himself. With a lot of these things, it’s often the players themselves who push their representatives to look for opportunities.
“I’m sure Cal will have had opportunities. In fact, I’m definite on that. But the fact is you don’t hear about it and that’s testament to his character. And also the people around him.
“Other players in his position would probably advertise the fact they’ve knocked back this club and that club and they’re not interested in going here or there. But that’s not who he is.
“That’s not his character so I wouldn’t take the fact that he doesn’t get talked about like there hasn’t been interest. I can guarantee there would have been interest the highest level for Callum.
“But he’s really proud of the fact he represents this football club. He loves his role as captain and he really wants to leave a mark here. It’s a credit to him that he continues to do so.”
McGregor will certainly leave behind an envious legacy when the time eventually comes to call it a day. The metronomic playmaker plays a staggering amount of football every season – around 60 games a year, give or take – and tends to go the distance in them. He has won 16 trophies as a Celtic player, with the most recent two being as captain, but his influence extends to the team-mates he works alongside on a daily basis, too.
“We do feel privileged to share a dressing room with him,” explained Portuguese winger Jota. “Callum is someone who is very important in our dressing room. He makes us feel welcome and helps us to perform in the best way we can in every game.
“So, he’s definitely someone to look at and follow his example. We are just grateful that we have someone like him. It’s not just him though, we have a big group with good personalities, and we just try to help each other the best way we can.
“He reached out to me when I first joined like he does with everyone. I think that sort of thing is something that a captain must do, and he is a perfect example of that.
“He just wants you to feel welcome and to help you perform in the best way you can.”
