Absence of Celtic Captain McGregor Felt by Scotland
When Callum McGregor announced his decision to retire from national team duty for Scotland, reactions varied. Celtic supporters were relieved that their captain and star midfielder would have more time for rest and recovery during the course of the season, and fewer opportunities to pick up an injury.
The Full Scottish
The Tartan Army offered a collective shrug. McGregor’s performances during the Euros over the summer were far from his best, they reasoned, and with the midfielder in his 30s his departure means more opportunities for players such as Ryan Gauld who is… (checks notes) 28.
Hmmm. (This speaks to Scotland’s difficulties developing young players, but that’s another topic.)
Scotland manager Steve Clarke, meanwhile, acknowledged that he was “a little bit” surprised by McGregor’s decision, but told reporters to “ask me in another three or four camps” if the midfielder’s absence will really hurt the squad.
‘A Big Loss’
His teammates, however, were far less equivocal. Take, for example, Aston Villa’s John McGinn, himself a midfield stalwart for the Scotland national team, who said of McGregor’s retirement, “it’s certainly going to be a big loss for us.”
Meanwhile, McGregor’s opponents, domestically, likely have nightmares about what a more rested version of the Celtic captain can and will do to them on a weekly basis. The Hoops academy graduate was his most-robust self on Sunday against Rangers, in the first Glasgow derby of the season—and that was BEFORE what will now be a two-week break for him.
Said Bhoys manager Brendan Rodgers earlier this season: “I do feel for Steve because he’s a quality player, of course. But from a Celtic perspective, for longevity, for him, his career … for him to get these little periods of recovery, to recover and rest, will be important for him. He’s such an intense player for me on and off the pitch. Those little windows where you can give him that breather will do him the world of good.”
That rest, what with national team duty, has historically proved elusive for McGregor. Here’s what his former manager, Ange Postecoglou, said about the Hoops captain, and the possibility of resting him during the league campaign, in March 2023: “If you 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.”
Scotland, minus McGregor, lost 3-2 to Poland, at Hampden on Thursday, in Nations’ League play. Coincidence? Give it a rest.