Every great Celtic manager needs a captain willing to fight for the cause, and Brendan Rodgers certainly has that in Callum McGregor.
Since taking the armband in 2021, the 31-year-old has won seven of the nine trophies available to him, including a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double in 2023/24.
McGregor rules the roost in the Celtic engine room, combining his experience, composure and quality to produce a level of consistency that few players in the country are able to contend with on matchday.
Off the back of his exploits at Euro 2024, the Lennoxtown product will already be gearing up for another exciting season at Parkhead.
Speaking ahead of the new campaign, McGregor has laid out why his productive relationship with Rodgers is the perfect tonic for further success.
Callum McGregor’s relationship with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic
Speaking to The Celtic View, he stated: “In his previous time here we struck up a great connection, and there’s a good bit of trust there in terms of player-manager bond.
“It’s brilliant to see him back at the club. We knew we had a lot of hard work to do. We came off the back of a really successful season, and, at Celtic, the next season, you have to be equally as successful, and it was great having that reunion.
“He’s a big manager, he’s a big personality and he loves the fight. You can see that when he’s backed into a corner, he comes out swinging and that’s the thing I love about him – his mentality and his drive to win.’
“And he’s instilled that in this group as well. There’s been a siege mentality at times, and in sport, that’s really powerful.”
Out of his comments, the fact he mentions that Celtic have formed a ‘siege mentality’ at times during Rodgers’ second tenure is very telling. Last campaign, this was a group that were questioned extensively by some in media circles, and false narratives about their mentality were commonplace.
However, like any good Celtic team, they brushed it off and rose to the challenge when others couldn’t. Throughout the history of this club, the Hoops have shown an incredible ability to grit their teeth when it matters to push silverware over the line.
Hard times present themselves in the context of a season, claiming results every week isn’t always cut and dry. Nevertheless, the skipper will hope to spearhead the Bhoys’ efforts to further glory in 2024/25 alongside Rodgers.