Celtic skipper Callum McGregor on those Scottish Cup final tears and why he's started CAR SHARING with Brendan Rodgers

Scottish Sun

4 days ago

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IT was a treble medal he wanted at Hampden.
Instead, Callum McGregor was left with tears for souvenirs.
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Callum McGregor collects his medal
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
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Callum McGregor is consoled by Brendan Rodgers at the end
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
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Callum McGregor after his penalty miss
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
But the Celtic skipper reckons getting emotional after losing a dramatic Scottish Cup final penalty shootout to Aberdeen shows just how much the club means to him.
He said: 'I think people think that we're robots.
'But we're not robots, we're human beings.
'And I think if anybody didn't know how much this club means to me before, then they probably do now.'
McGregor was consoled by Brendan Rodgers out on the pitch as he bawled his eyes out, having been one of the guys who stepped up and missed, as he selflessly APOLOGISED to his gaffer.
He added: 'You can't turn the tap on and off.
'It's a 24-hour thing that you live with every single day.
'And my job is to make this club successful.
'So when that doesn't happen, you feel responsible.
'With the position you're in, you take the pressure, you take the responsibility. And it goes all the way through your life.
'You can't just switch it off.
Celtic star Daizen Maeda spotted doing press-ups in technical area after being subbed-off against Sporting Lisbon
'So it's a big pressure, but it's something I like and it's something I've thrived under and been successful more often than not.
'But when you have a sore one, it's a reminder of how you need to keep pushing, keep learning and keep getting better.
'And you hopefully minimise those down days.
'With someone like the manager, when something like that happens, you feel like you've let him down.
'You also feel like you've let the team, down and the you've let the club down.
'Like I say, you hold that responsibility so you can't just switch it off. You feel responsible in the good days ands you feel responsible in the bad days as well.
'That's something I'm quite proud of, that I take so much pride in what I'm doing.'
McGregor's tears dried up but the agony he felt lasted for weeks after the cup final defeat.
He added: 'Everybody went away on holiday.
'But you don't start enjoying your holiday, probably, until a couple of weeks after it.
'My family and the people close to me, they are there to support me in those times. They love you unconditionally of course, no matter what happens in the football pitch.
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Callum McGregor is back in stride - playing almost every minute
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
'Having their support in the immediate aftermath was very important because they're the ones who pick you back up and level you off.
'You're as low as can be, really.
'It's my whole life, it's my profession. It's what I pride myself on. So when you have a bad day you can't help but carry it with you for days and days and days.'
McGregor's tight relationship with Rodgers was there for all to see as they embraced out on the Hampden pitch.
Now the 32 year-old is eager to make the most of that by gleaning as much knowledge as he can from his gaffer as he weighs up what's next for him when the day comes for him to hang up his boots.
He added: 'We just got chatting in the car about that on the way to this press conference.
'We talk about football all the time anyway.
'He was asking what I fancy doing after I finish playing, not that he was trying to retire me or anything!
'That's still a few years down the line.
'But I've always been involved in football, it's pretty much all I know. And I want to continue to be involved in that, whether that be coaching or managing.
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Callum McGregor, Nicolas Kuhn and Jeffrey Schlupp at the end
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
'You don't quite know what's in store for you.
'But I certainly want to stay in football.
'The next progression would be to do my badges and see how I like it. Then you just never know from there.
'But in terms of the chat with the manager, I think we often take things for granted.
'I was there sharing the car with the gaffer on the way to the stadium and this is a guy who managed Liverpool and managed at Leicester and Celtic.
'That's invaluable information that people may never get to listen to. Even if nothing comes of it, there was a conversation that gave me an opportunity to learn.
'You learn from everything you see.
'We have guys coming into the building and other guys who have been there for years.
'Your job is never finished.
'But the conversation was one that not many people would ever get access to.
'He's got a very mentorship style, he loves helping players.
'He did that with me when we first met each other.
'It's been an amazing relations and something that's been nurtured over time. We have a really good understanding with each other and what makes us tick is very similar.
'Over time the relationship grows and grows and I am really thankful to have someone like that in my career to try and help me as much as he can.
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'As a player, you just never know how things are going to pan out.
'With sports science these days, everybody is preparing better, eating better and sleeping better.
'You just never know how long you've got left.
'You can try and earmark what you think but it may be longer than that and it may be shorter than that.
'You come back preseason, get fit, feel good.
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'I am going to continue to play and push my body as much as I possibly can. But at some point, that day will come.
'You want to be ready for that so you can decide what you do next.
'For now, another full season is coming with a lot of minutes and a lot of games. But I feel good. I feel like my body has been used to it for the last eight or nine years.
'I always say to players, get into rhythm.
'Now for me it's just normal. I don't really think about too much. I know what my body needs and I just keep churning out games.'
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