Celtic have three or four ‘unbelievable’ players at the club. That’s according to first-team coach, Harry Kewell.
The Australian was speaking about his time at the club so far and paid tribute to the work these guys put into the pressing part of the game.
But he said that work is led and encouraged by one player’s effort and hard work in training. Celtic captain, Callum McGregor.
McGregor is the one that sets the standards at the club and it seems that Kewell has been absolutely blown away by his work ethic in training.
Kewell said [Official Celtic FC Podcast], “I think when you talk about good work ethic and players working hard we have, I’d have to say, three or four unbelievable players here that press.
“And when they play, and they usually play, when you see that as a player playing you think well if they’re doing that I’ve got to do that.
“But the most important thing especially in a football team is your captain. And since I’ve been here you’re looking at Callum.
“And every day in training, and I’m not even talking about games, because games are easy to get up to. They’re easy because it’s what you do when you’re in front of a crowd. It’s beautiful in front of 60,000 people. That’s easy.
“Callum’s driving the sessions every day in training. He’s always the first one working hard, he’s always the first one sprinting, he’s never letting the ball down, he’s the first one talking, he’s the first one tackling, he’s the first one pushing everybody.
“Again, as a player, if your Captain’s doing that, there’s no excuses. If your Captain’s walking around throwing his hands up and going no I’m not doing that with this socks down I’m like it gives us an excuse in to go well if he’s not doing it.
“He’s leading the way. And I’ve played with captains that have done that as well and I’ve played with ones that haven’t.
“And I found that when you get a captain that works the hardest in training then it’s easy to drive forward and easy to go to that next level.”
McGregor has certainly been an excellent role model for all the players at the club. In every Celtic podcast I have watched or listened to, the players regularly highlight the Hoops skipper’s effort in training.
It is clear that his teammates look up to and respect the 30-year-old midfield stalwart.
McGregor has already led the club to a double and a treble. The efforts he puts in both on and off the park, clearly, influence his peers and you can see that with the way the team presses on matchdays.
The Celtic fans will be delighted that the captain is such a positive influence on the team because that will only mean one thing. That Celtic will continue to dominate Scottish football as long as there are players like McGregor at the club.
In other news, ‘I’m wiping him out’: Barry Ferguson claims he’d snap 25-year-old Celtic player if he ever played against him