MCGREGOR READY FOR MIDFIELD BATTLE

CALLUM McGREGOR insists he is up for the battle for a midfield place in Brendan Rodgers’ first team plans.

The Celtic playmaker admits he faces fierce competition with the recent arrivals of Olivier Ntcham and Kundai Benyu while Eboue Kouassi will be pushing for a place in the new campaign.

McGregor was one of the star men in the second half of last season and he’s determined to make it difficult for anyone to take his role in the Hoops’ set-up.

He said: “I have to take confidence from the way I finished the season. I want to go up to the next level.

“We have more midfielders coming through, but that’s good for me and keeps me on edge.

“If you want to wear that Celtic jersey then you have to be at it every week.

“But that is life here. The boss will always bring in players to improve the squad. It is up to each of us to work hard – if not, you won’t play. That’s the mentality you need at Celtic.

“We play a high-intensity game, so we need a lot of bodies. As long as we have a big squad and competition we can see how far we can go.”