Celtic captain Callum McGregor has been rallying his Scotland teammates as they look to bounce back from the disappointment of their EURO 2024 opener against Germany.
The Tartan Army were comprehensively beaten 5-1 by the hosts last Friday in a match where McGregor and Anthony Ralston featured from the start, with the former making way for Billy Gilmour on 67 minutes.
Despite the frustrating nature of the loss, it isn’t about going down; it is about your ability to get up and fight to rectify the situation you are involved in, something the Celtic captain has demonstrated he and his club teammates are experts at when the pressure is on.
Scotland face Switzerland this Wednesday in Cologne, knowing that another defeat would significantly diminish their chances of qualifying from Group A.
Readying himself for the heat of battle, McGregor has now issued a rallying call to his colleagues as they look to put themselves in contention to make history.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor speaks from international camp
Speaking ahead of the clash, McGregor has indicated his full focus is on recovering from the defeat to Germany and has urged his national teammates to shift their mindset and find a way to get out of Group A.
He explained [Glasgow Times]: “It is about trying to rectify that (loss to Germany). You will never be able to rectify the result because what has happened, has happened. But if you can get yourself out of the group then it diminishes. Then in 10 or 15 years’ time people will say, ‘Yeah, but they got out of the group and they achieved something great’. So that is where the mindset has to be.
“When we get to big tournaments like this Scotland are still relatively unknown in terms of the football world and we and we want to show people we are a good side and we have got good people. Supporters are great and you want to give a good account of the country. That is where it is sore. We are now the only people who can fix that.”
Later on, he responded when asked if Scotland could replicate the fighting spirit shown in their 0-0 draw against England in EURO 2024 by claiming their next two group games are cup final-like scenarios.
McGregor said: “That’s it.” he continued: “We have two games to get out of the group now, it is two cup finals. That is what the mentality of the players has to be. That’s where the mentality of the group has to be. Yeah, we attack Wednesday now. As I say, it is a cup final. We have to win.”
Callum McGregor will lean on his exploits at Celtic
McGregor is a leading light for both club and country and as Celtic supporters know, there is nobody you would rather have in a situation of adversity to help turn the tide.
Despite having a vast array of attributes, it can be argued that the 31-year-old’s greatest quality is his determination to succeed at all costs. He exemplified during the run-in at club level, where he recovered from an Achilles problem in time even when a scan signalled his season could’ve been over.
There is a reason why he is trusted to feature under both Brendan Rodgers and Steve Clarke. Hopefully, he can lead the way for his country on Wednesday night and beyond.