CELTIC captain Callum McGregor eased himself through the 90-plus minutes of the 1-1 draw with Wolves at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin yesterday.
Once again, the masterful midfielder led by example as he delivered another effective shift from the engine room of the champions.
McGregor shared a pitch for the first time with South Korean debut double-act Yang Hyun-jun and Kwon Hyeon-kyu who came on as 61st-minute substitutes for Kyogo Furuhashi, scorer of the Hoops goal, and Matt O’Riley.
NICE KWON…South Korean midfielder Kwon Hyeon-kyu made his first appearance against Wolves.
Maik Nawrocki, the £4.3million arrival from Legia Warsaw, was denied a first appearance due to an ankle injury that prevented him from making the trip.
However, Norwegian Odin Thiago Holm made a 72nd-minute emergence when he replaced the impressive Reo Hatate.
Overall, it was a worthwhile exercise for the title kings and McGregor declared the treble winners are shaping up for the real stuff when the Premiership commences against Ross County at Parkhead on Saturday.
Before that, of course, there is another opportunity for the new signings to gel with their colleagues in James Forrest’s testimonial game against Athletic Bilbao in Glasgow on Tuesday.
IT TAKES TWO…Callum McGregor and Tomoki Iwata have a chat during the 1-1 draw in Dublin.
Reflecting on the deadlock with the Midlands club, McGregor, speaking to the Scottish Sun, said: “We knew it was going to be a tough game. Obviously, coming here to see the fans was excellent, as well, it gave us a real good lift.
“I thought for the majority of the game, we played really well, created some really good chances and probably on another day we do go and win the game.
“I thought the new lads came in and did really well. It’s up to us guys to teach them what it is to be a Celtic player. Early signs are really good.”
CRACKSHOT KYOGO BUT HOOPS DENIED
