CALLUM McGREGOR praised the quality and depth of the Celtic squad after scoring another screamer in the champions’ 5-0 rout against Ross County at Parkhead yesterday.
Brendan Rodgers introduced six changes to the team that started the 1-1 draw with Club Brugge in the Champions League three days earlier.
The Hoops gaffer took the opportunity to rest McGregor’s usual midfield sidekicks Arne Engels and Reo Hatate to bring in Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo – and the switches worked a treat.
With Alex Valle, Liam Scales, James Forrest and Adam Idah also joining the fresh faces, the team decimated their Highland opposition who made life so difficult for the title kings in Dingwall in October.
SIGNS ARE GOOD…Callum McGregor celebrates his superb strike against Ross County.
It took late goals from Alistair Johnston and Nicolas Kuhn to get the job done against Don Cowie’s battlers, but on this occasion the visitors were blown away by a full-throttle Celts.
The non-stop hosts were five ahead at the interval with Scales opening the scoring in the tenth minute to signal a goal deluge from McCowan, McGregor, Bernardo and Idah.
Celtic’s inspirational skipper grinned: “The performance was outstanding, especially after a tough game midweek.
“The idea was to try and get the speed, tempo and quality on the ball from the off and the boys did that.
“The guys who have been coming in to games have made a huge impact for us and the squad is so important.
“We need every single player at their maximum level and that’s why we’ve been so good.”
McGregor, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “We made a few changes today and the level is still super-high, brilliant energy, brilliant quality, summed up by the wee man [Luke McCowan], he gets his goal and a few assists, as well.
“But that’s what we want, everybody to come in and work as hard as they can for the team and produce those moments.
“We’re all in it together.”
The players will be standing shoulder-to-shoulder when they take on Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday evening.
The victory over County pushed the Hoops five points ahead of the Dons, but that could change later in the afternoon when Jimmy Thelin’s side play Hearts at Tynecastle in a 3pm kick-off.
No matter the outcome, Celtic will be again planning to turn on the afterburners in the north east to leave their opponents in their slipstream.
