CELTIC MIDFIELDER Callum McGregor created another moment in a Scotland jersey which left many fans stunned.
In the 95th minute, he took the ball from his own half, beating a few Spanihs players, and set up a brilliant chance that Lawrence Shankland didn’t have the quality to tuck away.
It’s a move that Celtic fans have become so used to seeing, but it was impressive to see him to it so late in a game, playing back-to-back matches and being the only midfielder to play every minute for Scotland during the break.
Ange Postecoglou admitted that he wasn’t surprised by the move but joked that he wished the referee had blown the full-time whistle sooner. Speaking via Celtic TV, the Aussie boss said:
“I would have preferred the ref blew full-time just before that, I thought the time was already up. So I wasn’t sure why he was carrying on.
“But it’s no surprise. With other players who go into the national team window, you wonder how much they will play, but there is never any doubt that Callum will play all the time.
“He is, knock on wood, a pretty resilient individual, and he wants that, he thrives on that. If you kept him out or tried to rest him, I don’t think it would do him any good because he is just geared to always performing, and always performing at the highest level.
“So it didn’t surprise me that he was the one, in that last minute, who was still driving forward and driving the team forward. It just epitomises the person he is as much as the player.
“I’m pleased for Callum firstly because I know how much it means for him to play for his country. As much as he is the captain of our club and the leader of our club, he just cherishes his national team representation.
“It was a big night for him, a big night for the team and a big night for the whole nation, I guess. It’s great because it builds belief in the whole group.
“I don’t think there is any doubt that Callum can perform at those levels but for him to do it with his national team is special. So you take great pride in that and we take great pride as a football club as well because he is our leader and he represents us on the national stage.
“I thought he was outstanding in both games, he played every minute. You saw in the last couple of minutes in the second game, he just has this real ability and determination to get every ounce out of his body, and that’s what he does every time he plays.”
Callum McGregor is a top-quality player, and it’s great to have a leader like him at Celtic. He was the obvious candidate to take over from Scott Brown, and in every match, he leads by example and shows why he wears the captain’s armband.
