CALLUM McGREGOR is determined to add to his remarkable record of Cup Final triumphs when he leads out Celtic against Rangers tomorrow afternoon.
The inspirational Hoops captain will be looking to win his TWELFTH successive honour at Hampden to maintain his astonishing 100 per cent sequence in showpiece showdowns.
McGregor kicked off the first of five Scottish Cup celebrations after Tom Rogic had stroked home his memorable last-gasp winner in the 2-1 success over Aberdeen in 2017.
START OF SOMETHING GOOD…Callum McGregor and skipper Scott Brown celebrate the 2-1 Scottish Cup Final win over Aberdeen at Hampden in May 2017.
The 30-year-old Scotland international midfielder kept the run going with victories against Motherwell (2-0), Hearts (2-0 and 3-3 aet, 4-3 on pens) and, last season, Inverness Caley Thistle (3-1).
Add to that impressive record six League Cups, the last of which was the 2-1 triumph over tomorrow’s opponents in February last year when Kyogo Furuhashi snapped up a double.
McGregor was an unused substitute when Ronny Deila’s team beat Dundee United 2-0 in the 2015 League Cup Final.
You could even add five as a youth team player and he emerged triumphant in all five of those occasions, too.
After last season’s League Cup win over the Ibrox side, then managed by Michael Beale, a beaming McGregor, speaking in a CQN report, said: “It’s not a bad record, is it?”
PICK IT OUT…Callum McGregor races away in triumph after thumping Celtic into the lead in the 2-0 Scottish Cup Final victory over Motherwell in 2018.
At the same time, Celtic’s onfield leader added: “When you get to Finals you’re desperate to win. Throw into them the fact that it’s Rangers and it goes up another notch. It was nice to do it the way we did, as well. I thought we were outstanding in the first-half.
“We played some terrific football. In the second-half, we had to dig in and show a different side, but overall I was delighted for the players.
”Good teams win trophies and they win them consistently. That’s the be all and end all in football.”
McGregor completed his eleventh Hampden success in the 3-1 Scottish Cup Final win over Inverness Caley Thistle at Hampden in June last year.
It also marked the anchorman’s FIFTH domestic treble in a breathtaking CV.
THE FINAL SAY…Callum McGregor gets to grips with the Scottish Cup after Celtic completed their world record eighth domestic treble with a 3-1 victory over Inverness Caley Thistle in June 2023. Joe Hart is about to join in.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s encounter as he attempts to add to his silverware collection, McGregor, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “When I get to these occasions, I just try and really focus on the game, what you’ve got to do to make it a success and also focus on the team.
“That selflessness, team ethic, the team working for each other, working and running and doing all the nasty bits of the game that’ll hopefully take us over the line.
“Come Saturday, we’ll hopefully have another positive experience to look back on.”
And Callum McGregor can add medal No.21 to his growing personal haul of fame.
