Love: Last News

Callum McGregor says it’s amazing to be a Celtic Euro centurion

The proud captain hit the 100 mark for appearances in continental competition when leading the side against Dinamo Zagreb. McGregor admits he would have loved to have marked the occasion with a cherished away triumph. However, taking another valuable point on the road in the Croatian capital ensured the 31-year-old was still able to soak up the size of his achievement.

McGregor is now just 27 outings behind his old sidekick and club record-holder Scott Brown in the standings and beams at the ton-up effort as he looks to keep adding to his tally. He said: “It’s an amazing achievement with such an iconic club. I’m proud. It’s obviously a huge milestone and to play this many games for this club, especially in Europe, is tough to do.

“The only thing was, could we match it with a performance and a result. Maybe that was the only disappointing aspect. But we still took another point from the game and it keeps us moving in the right direction.

“The game model’s still there, controlling the ball, controlling the game and it was just maybe needing a bit more quality in the final third. It’s a big ask to play for this club and you have to have the temperament to do it. You also have to have the quality to do it too.

“To get 100 games in Europe for this club is obviously special. I just want to keep doing it and try to get as many appearances as I can.”

It’s been a decade since McGregor made his Euro bow and his efforts in Iceland set the tone for his Celtic career. Making a top-team club debut against Reykjavik, he scored the winner in a 1-0 success for Ronny Deila’s team.

McGregor featured alongside colleagues such as Virgil van Dijk and Fraser Forster on the night and said: “I still remember the game and, of course, it was a memorable one. There’s maybe a few in-between that are not so clear. Amazing achievement. The day that I made my debut and scored, that’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

McGregor