Callum McGregor determined to help Celtic re-claim status as Scottish football’s dominant force after signing new five-year-deal

Celtic skipper Callum McGregor is determined to play his part in helping the club re-claim their status as Scottish football’s dominant force after signing a new five-year-deal.

The influential midfielder was handed the captain’s armband after Scott Brown left to take up a player/coach role at Aberdeen.

McGregor has been at the Hoops since the age of eight, rising up through the club’s youth academy and has been a mainstay in the team since scoring on his competitive debut against KR Reykjavik in July 2014.

The Scotland international, capped 37 times, will now remain at Celtic until the summer of 2026.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” McGregor told Celtic TV. “It’s a proud moment again to extend my stay at the club.

“The club’s very close to my hearts. I’ve been here for a number of years now, I’m happy here, I love my football and representing this club, and I want to stay here for as long as I can.

“This is a new chapter and I’m desperate to see the five years out and if I’ve done that, then that means it’s been a pretty successful time again.

“That’s the new motivation for me personally, to make sure this club wins silverware and get it back to that successful place where we were two, three, four seasons ago.”

Manager Ange Postecoglou was similarly thrilled to keep hold of McGregor, who will look to build on the 338 appearances he has made to date upon his return from injury.

Postecoglou said: “It’s brilliant new for the club.

“Obviously it was an important year for Cal stepping up to be the new captain and he’s already shown outstanding qualities.

“He espouses the values that I’m after. He understands what we’re trying to build and, one and off the field, he’s not just talking about it, he’s living it and he’s showing the behaviour that I was leaders to show.

“As I said, he’s just taken his first steps but I think that it’s exciting with what’s ahead.”