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Daily Record
7 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Callum McGregor plots Celtic road ahead as Brendan Rodgers car Q&A gets his skipper thinking
The skipper isn't planning on hanging up his boots any time soon but his manager was keen to know what the future looks like Callum McGregor still has plenty in the tank at Celtic but the car journey up from the airport in Milan to the Hoops camp at Lake Como has got the skipper thinking about the road ahead, w rites Michael Gannon in Como It might have been turning 32-year-old in June, or it might have just been the chance to pick the brains of his boss Brendan Rodgers for the hour journey, but the playmaker arrived in town with thoughts of the future on his mind. Let's get one thing straight. McGregor is going nowhere any time soon. He missed just three games all of last season and showed no signs of his sky high standards slipping. The midfielder has also returned to pre-season looking like a Rolls Royce, running the show against Newcastle United at the weekend. Yet McGregor knows at some point he'll reach a fork in the road but this is a guy who has built a career seeing what is coming around corners. He said: 'We just got chatting in the car about different things. We talk about football all the time anyway. 'He was asking what I fancy doing after I finish playing, not that he was trying to retire me or anything! That's still a few years down the line. 'But I've always been involved in football, it's pretty much all I know. And I want to continue to be involved in that, whether that be coaching or managing. 'You don't quite know what's in store for you. I certainly want to stay in football. The next progression would be to do my badges and see how I like it. Then you just never know from there. 'But in terms of the chat with the manager, I think we often take things for granted. 'I was there staring the car with the gaffer on the way to the stadium and this is a guy who managed Liverpool and managed at Leicester and Celtic. 'That's invaluable information that people may never get to listen to. Even if nothing comes of it, there was a conversation that gave me an opportunity to learn. 'The conversation was one that not many people would ever get access to. 'He's got a very mentorship style, he loves helping players. 'He did that with me when we first met each other. 'It's been an amazing relationship and something that's been nurtured over time. We have a really good understanding with each other and what makes us tick is very similar. 'Over time the relationship grows and grows and I am really thankful to have someone like that in my career to try and help me as much as he can.' McGregor will keep his foot down as a player for the foreseeable though. He said: 'You just never know. I am going to continue to play and push my body as much as I possibly can. But at some point, that day will come. 'You want to be ready for that so you can decide what you do next. 'I think I missed three games last year. I feel good. I know what my body needs and I just keep churning out games.' Some games hurt more than others though, and the Scottish Cup Final was a sore one for the skipper. McGregor missed from the spot and was left in tears after losing his first ever final since he was a school kid. It's not a feeling he is used to and not one he wants to get used to. He said: 'I think everyone now knows, if they didn't know before, just how much it means to me. 'With the position you're in, you take the pressure, you take the responsibility. And it goes all the way through your life. 'You can't just switch it off. 'So it's a big pressure, but it's something I like and it's something I've thrived under and been successful more often than not. 'But when you have a sore one, it's a reminder of how you need to keep pushing, keep learning and keep getting better. 'And you hopefully minimise those down days. 'With someone like the manager, when something like that happens, you feel like you've let him down. 'You also feel like you've let the team, down and the you've let the club down. 'Like I say, you hold that responsibility so you can't just switch it off. You feel responsible in the good days and you feel responsible in the bad days as well. 'That's something I'm quite proud of, that I take so much pride in what I'm doing.' McGregor hit the beach after Hampden but it was family rallying round that eventually helped him off of his gloom. He said: 'You don't start enjoying your holiday, probably, until a couple of weeks after it. 'My family and the people close to me, they are there to support me in those times. They love you unconditionally of course, no matter what happens in the football pitch. 'Having their support in the immediate aftermath was very important because they're the ones who pick you back up and level you off. 'You're as low as can be, really. 'It's my whole life, it's my profession. It's what I pride myself on. So when you have a bad day you can't help but carry it with you for days and days and days. 'I think people think that we're robots. 'But we're not robots, we're human beings. And I think if anybody didn't know how much this club means to me before, then they probably do now. 'You can't turn the tap on and off. It's a 24 hour thing that you live with every single day. 'And my job is to make this club successful. So when that doesn't happen you feel responsible.'
Scottish Sun
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Celtic skipper Callum McGregor on those Scottish Cup final tears and why he's started CAR SHARING with Brendan Rodgers
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT was a treble medal he wanted at Hampden. Instead, Callum McGregor was left with tears for souvenirs. 7 Callum McGregor collects his medal Credit: Kenny Ramsay 7 Callum McGregor is consoled by Brendan Rodgers at the end Credit: Kenny Ramsay 7 Callum McGregor after his penalty miss Credit: Kenny Ramsay But the Celtic skipper reckons getting emotional after losing a dramatic Scottish Cup final penalty shootout to Aberdeen shows just how much the club means to him. He said: 'I think people think that we're robots. 'But we're not robots, we're human beings. 'And I think if anybody didn't know how much this club means to me before, then they probably do now.' McGregor was consoled by Brendan Rodgers out on the pitch as he bawled his eyes out, having been one of the guys who stepped up and missed, as he selflessly APOLOGISED to his gaffer. He added: 'You can't turn the tap on and off. 'It's a 24-hour thing that you live with every single day. 'And my job is to make this club successful. 'So when that doesn't happen, you feel responsible. 'With the position you're in, you take the pressure, you take the responsibility. And it goes all the way through your life. 'You can't just switch it off. Celtic star Daizen Maeda spotted doing press-ups in technical area after being subbed-off against Sporting Lisbon 'So it's a big pressure, but it's something I like and it's something I've thrived under and been successful more often than not. 'But when you have a sore one, it's a reminder of how you need to keep pushing, keep learning and keep getting better. 'And you hopefully minimise those down days. 'With someone like the manager, when something like that happens, you feel like you've let him down. 'You also feel like you've let the team, down and the you've let the club down. 'Like I say, you hold that responsibility so you can't just switch it off. You feel responsible in the good days ands you feel responsible in the bad days as well. 'That's something I'm quite proud of, that I take so much pride in what I'm doing.' McGregor's tears dried up but the agony he felt lasted for weeks after the cup final defeat. He added: 'Everybody went away on holiday. 'But you don't start enjoying your holiday, probably, until a couple of weeks after it. 'My family and the people close to me, they are there to support me in those times. They love you unconditionally of course, no matter what happens in the football pitch. 7 Callum McGregor is back in stride - playing almost every minute Credit: Kenny Ramsay 'Having their support in the immediate aftermath was very important because they're the ones who pick you back up and level you off. 'You're as low as can be, really. 'It's my whole life, it's my profession. It's what I pride myself on. So when you have a bad day you can't help but carry it with you for days and days and days.' McGregor's tight relationship with Rodgers was there for all to see as they embraced out on the Hampden pitch. Now the 32 year-old is eager to make the most of that by gleaning as much knowledge as he can from his gaffer as he weighs up what's next for him when the day comes for him to hang up his boots. He added: 'We just got chatting in the car about that on the way to this press conference. 'We talk about football all the time anyway. 'He was asking what I fancy doing after I finish playing, not that he was trying to retire me or anything! 'That's still a few years down the line. 'But I've always been involved in football, it's pretty much all I know. And I want to continue to be involved in that, whether that be coaching or managing. 7 Callum McGregor, Nicolas Kuhn and Jeffrey Schlupp at the end Credit: Kenny Ramsay 'You don't quite know what's in store for you. 'But I certainly want to stay in football. 'The next progression would be to do my badges and see how I like it. Then you just never know from there. 'But in terms of the chat with the manager, I think we often take things for granted. 'I was there sharing the car with the gaffer on the way to the stadium and this is a guy who managed Liverpool and managed at Leicester and Celtic. 'That's invaluable information that people may never get to listen to. Even if nothing comes of it, there was a conversation that gave me an opportunity to learn. 'You learn from everything you see. 'We have guys coming into the building and other guys who have been there for years. 'Your job is never finished. 'But the conversation was one that not many people would ever get access to. 'He's got a very mentorship style, he loves helping players. 'He did that with me when we first met each other. 'It's been an amazing relations and something that's been nurtured over time. We have a really good understanding with each other and what makes us tick is very similar. 'Over time the relationship grows and grows and I am really thankful to have someone like that in my career to try and help me as much as he can. 7 'As a player, you just never know how things are going to pan out. 'With sports science these days, everybody is preparing better, eating better and sleeping better. 'You just never know how long you've got left. 'You can try and earmark what you think but it may be longer than that and it may be shorter than that. 'You come back preseason, get fit, feel good. 7 'I am going to continue to play and push my body as much as I possibly can. But at some point, that day will come. 'You want to be ready for that so you can decide what you do next. 'For now, another full season is coming with a lot of minutes and a lot of games. But I feel good. I feel like my body has been used to it for the last eight or nine years. 'I always say to players, get into rhythm. 'Now for me it's just normal. I don't really think about too much. I know what my body needs and I just keep churning out games.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Highs & lows of Celtic's previous meetings with Ajax
Nearly 10 years on from that disappointing November night in the Europa League, Celtic meet Ajax Rodgers' side will face the Dutch giants in their first game of the pre-season tournament, the Como Cup, in Italy on result this time round has much less significance than it did back in managed by Ronny Deila, Celtic needed a victory in Glasgow to keep their hopes of reaching the last 32 of the Europa League alive.A fresh-faced Callum McGregor gave the hosts the ideal start, firing them ahead after three minutes, but Arkadiusz Milik acrobatically equalised before by a rowdy support, Deila's side pushed for a winner, but Vaclav Cerny - who spent last season on loan at Rangers - netted late on to send Celtic tumbling out of with Ajax are typically fiery, and this one was no the reverse tie, Celtic were 2-1 up in Amsterdam but had to settle for a draw after conceding late on, with Emilio Izaguirre sent off. The two heavyweights met two years before, too, in the Champions League and though Ajax won on home soil, Celtic held on for an impressive and deserved victory in Glasgow despite Nir Bitton's red meetings in two years came after 12 years of wait. The pair faced off in the third round of Champions League qualifying in 2001 and Celtic prevailed thanks to an outstanding 3-1 first-leg win in Amsterdam courtesy of goals from Bobby Petta, Didier Agathe and Chris manager Co Adriaanse admitted his side were "outclassed" on their own patch and although the Dutch won 1-0 at Parkhead, Celtic advanced to the group stages for the first time.
The National
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Auston Trusty reflects on his 'special' Celtic honour
The central defender was handed the armband in the second 45 after usual skipper Callum McGregor was withdrawn. Trusty didn't start in his side's 2-0 win over the Portuguese champions, yet returned to the lineup when Newcastle United visited Parkhead on Saturday. The 26-year-old played until the 62nd minute, when he was replaced by Liam Scales. Read more: Trusty was named man of the match for his performance in the 4-0 rout. Taking to X after the match, the defender wrote: "Two wins, two clean sheets, and a man of the match performance! "A great way to close out the week against two strong opponents. As always, incredible support at home today and a special honour wearing the captain armband in Lisbon for Celtic." Two wins, two clean sheets, & a MOTM performance! A great way to close out the week against two strong opponents. As always, incredible support at home today & a special honour wearing the captain armband in Lisbon for #CelticFC 🍀 — Auston Trusty (@Auston_Trusty) July 19, 2025 Trusty joined Celtic from Sheffield United last summer in a deal reported to be worth £6 million. He made 37 appearances across all competitions during his first year at the club, despite losing his place in the team to Scales towards the end of the campaign. Having started pre-season in fine fettle, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for the United States international in 2025/26.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Homecoming hero Kieran Tierney backs Brendan Rodgers to cope with speculation over the Celtic manager's future
Kieran Tierney believes Brendan Rodgers will cope with the ongoing speculation surrounding his long-term future at Celtic. The Northern Irishman is entering the final year of his contract and, despite having touched on the matter in talks with the club's powerbrokers at the end of the last campaign, there's been no indication yet that he will agree to stay on beyond 2026. But Tierney, who was persuaded by the 52-year-old to return to the club from Arsenal this summer, claims the uncertainty surrounding the manager's position will have no bearing on how he or the team perform. 'I don't think he'll bother too much about the kind of outside noise,' said Tierney. 'He'll just get on with his job because he knows he's got a job to do. And, as his players, we've got a job to do. And we need to do it to the best of our ability. 'That takes hard work and commitment every single day, no days off and just being at it every day. 'I think with the captain that we've got, it's perfect having Callum (McGregor) and the manager as well together. It's a perfect combination.' Tierney won two Trebles in Rodgers' first spell before completing a £25million move south in 2019. Having been reunited with Rodgers, he feels the Northern Irishman is just as committed to the cause as the manager he first encountered. 'It's amazing how much he actually works and the effort he puts in,' he added. 'We saw the benefits of it the other night (in the friendly win over Sporting Lisbon). 'We played really well, some good passages of play against a top team. 'It just shows you how passionate he is that you can still see him shouting and wanting more. And you need that if you are going to win these trophies. 'You need to be 100 per cent all the time, whether it's a pre-season friendly, a Champions League qualifier, Scottish Cup or the league. You need to be on it every single day, even in training. You need to be on it and the manager makes sure that we are.' A decade after making his debut for his boyhood heroes, Tierney returns to Parkhead today for the first time in six years as Rodgers' team step up their pre-season training with a friendly against Newcastle. 'It will be a very special day,' he said. 'It'll be the first time I've been on the park for six years, so it's a long time. That will be amazing.'
