SERIAL winner Callum McGregor has led Celtic to seven honours in his first three seasons as club captain.
And the 31-year-old influential midfielder has his sights set firmly on No.8 when he lines up against Phillipe Clement’s Ibrox side in the Premier Sports League Cup Final at Hampden on Sunday.
Only two trophies – the Scottish Cup in his debut campaign as the team’s onfield gaffer and last term’s League Cup – have eluded his grasp since he took over the armband from the legendary Scott Brown at the kick-off of Ange Postecoglou’s revolutionary two-year reign at Parkhead.
At the weekend, McGregor has the opportunity to lift his 23rd major honour in a phenomenal personal silverware crusade.
YELLOW PERIL…Callum McGregor is booked by ref Alan Muir as Celtic lose 1-0 to Kilmarnock in the League Cup exit at Rugby Park in August last year.
Last season’s 1-0 loss at the first League Cup hurdle at Rugby Park to obliterate any chance of a second successive treble and that defeat from Kilmarnock in only the third game of Rodgers’ comeback campaign still stings the Hoops skipper.
McGregor reflected: “Yes, of course it does. The ones that slip away from you are the ones that you remember. Every tournament that we play in we want to win it, we want to do the best we can.
“And this is the first one up for grabs. Our approach doesn’t really change, although maybe a little bit because we didn’t win it last year.
“The expectation is to win and the players know that. We have to recover well from the game against Dinamo Zagreb and, when we go to the Final, we have to give everything we can to make sure it’s a positive afternoon.”
McGregor, who quit the Scotland international scene in summer to concentrate on the demands of being Celtic’s team controller on matchday, admits there is no secret formula to his ongoing success.
SILVER CELTS…Brendan Rodgers and skipper Callum McGregor show off the Scottish Cup after Celtic’s 1-0 derby triumph at Hampden on May 25 this year.
The inspirational middle-of-the-park operator, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “I think probably because I just want the next one. And when that’s happened, I park it again and go again.
“The hunger is still there. At this club you have to keep proving yourself time and time again. It doesn’t matter how many you’ve won, the next one is the most important.”
McGregor understands the importance of landing that initial honour of the trophy hunt and added: “I think it gives you that clarity of all the work you’ve been doing up to that point.
“If you can cement that with a trophy then it’s also great fodder for you moving forward.
“The first one of the season is always big, it can set your season up. We know how big a game it is. The players know, they understand what the expectation is.”
