CALLUM McGREGOR admits he is following in the footsteps of greats as he leads Celtic into this evening’s Premier Sports League Cup semi-final against St Johnstone at Hampden.
The Hoops players will be wearing the No.10 shorts in honour of the legendary Bertie Auld who sadly passed away at the age of 83 on Sunday.
And McGregor, 28, insists the memory of the Lisbon Lion will be a motivational factor against the Perth side at a packed national stadium.
The Scotland international midfielder said: “Bertie was an absolute giant at this club.
“Everybody who speaks about him speaks of him so highly in terms of the way he conducted himself, the way he was as a player and, most importantly, the way he was as a person.
THE CUP THAT CHEERS…Bertie Auld holds aloft the newly-won League Cup after scoring the only goal of the 1969 Final against St Johnstone.
“He got on with everybody, he always had a story to tell and he would always put a smile on your face.
“It’s a nice touch for the club to be wearing his number and it would only be fitting if we put in a performance and a result to match just how much of a great Bertie was at this club.”
Auld, who had two stints at the club and won 13 trophies including the European Cup in 1967, was Jock Stein’s orchestrator alongside Bobby Murdoch in the all-conquering side of the mid-sixties and early seventies.
His mere presence in the middle of the park would often inspire his team-mates to efforts that saw them sweep rivals aside.
An action replay against the Perth team in the south side of Glasgow would be most welcome.
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report and action images from Celtic v St Johnstone at Hampden this evening – only in your champion CQN.
