Callum McGregor says he is feeling good after Celtic returned to pre-season training at Lennoxtown.
The Celtic captain was back on the training pitch this week as the squad began their preparations for the new campaign. After a short summer break, the focus is now on building fitness, getting sharp again and setting the tone for the weeks ahead.
Asked how his body was feeling after the first couple of sessions, McGregor said: (CelticPlayer), “Yeah, good actually, just in time for the thunderstorms as well. It’s good to be back, see everybody, see the coaching staff and get to work.”
It was a simple answer, but a familiar one from the skipper. McGregor rarely gets carried away, and this was just another example of him getting straight back into work mode.
He was also asked whether he had managed to enjoy his time off over the summer.
“It was great actually, lots of sunshine, a bit of family time, so it was nice to just reset and get ready to come back again. So here we go.”
Despite recent talk linking McGregor with a possible move to Al Qadsiah to reunite with Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic captain sounded relaxed and upbeat as he returned to Lennoxtown. His comments were not a direct response to the speculation, but the tone was clear enough: he is back in the building, back with the squad, and ready to get started.
The summer break will have been welcome. McGregor has played a lot of football for Celtic over the years and remains one of the players the squad look to when pre-season begins. As captain, his standards on the training pitch matter, especially in the first few weeks back.
For Celtic, this is an important stage of the summer. The players are back in the building, the coaching staff are back to work, and the early sessions will be about getting minutes into legs before the friendlies and competitive fixtures arrive.
There is also the bigger picture around the squad. Celtic fans are still waiting for the first signing of the summer, and that has added some frustration around the start of pre-season.
McGregor’s comments were not about transfers, but they do show that the players already at the club have switched back on. The captain sounded fresh, relaxed and ready to go again.
Celtic will need that from him over the coming weeks. The squad may still change before the window closes, but for now, McGregor is back at Lennoxtown and the work has started.
