Last season would have been a very different experience for a player like Callum McGregor, given the amount of success he has had over the majority of his Celtic career.
The midfielder faced up against losing a league title for the first time and will likely have done some learning from that experience. Especially now that he holds the captain’s armband.
However, one thing he has yet to do as a Celtic player is lose a cup final at Hampden Park, and he is looking to keep that record going on Sunday when the Hoops take on Hibernian.
Speaking to the media ahead of this weekend, McGregor stated that Ange Postecoglou’s side had done the work heading into the fixture as he called on players not to overthink on the big stage.
“My record’s pretty good there,” McGregor said as quoted by the Herald.
“Obviously, we hope to continue that on Sunday, but that becomes a lot of hard work – preparation, dedication and a wee bit of good luck as well along the road. I’ll need to kick on all those things to have a good day, but here’s hoping.
“Everybody would love it to be an easy game with no pressure, but finals are never like that. There’s always a period in the game when you’re under pressure, and the other team are in the game, so the experience you can draw on can help you through that and stand you in good stead. You need all that.”
He continued by saying: “In terms of preparation and doing the right things going into the game, it’ll feel pretty similar.
“The worst thing you can do is overthink it and start doing things differently. It’s a process, and if you trust the process and it works, you stick with that. There’s obviously the tag of being captain, but I’m not even thinking about that. I just want to perform and help the team to take the trophy, and that’s my sole focus going into the game.”
Sunday’s game could be a big moment for McGregor and his Celtic teammates in the season.
A victory potentially kickstarts the season and gives players more desire to go and lift more silverware.
McGregor certainly knows a lot about that, as do players such as Joe Hart. So, they are likely to be key figures in Ange’s squad.
