Callum McGregor was in great spirits after Celtic’s 5-0 victory over St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-final, a performance that earned him the man-of-the-match award.
McGregor bossed the game from start to finish and is thriving at the heart of the midfield. However, what is incredible is that he is still as effective in attack despite starting as a holding midfielder. He was able to get into the box and cause problems.
He said: (Premier Sports), “Yeah, good, obviously that’s the job when you get to semi-finals, get to finals, and obviously be a successful Celtic team, which means winning trophies. And obviously, we get the chance now to do that at the end of the month. But a lot of football we’ll be playing until then, and we want to arrive in the best possible way. But today — 5-0, five goals, excellent, can’t ask for much more than that.”
McGregor also spoke about his goal, which opened the scoring after 34 minutes.
He added: “Yeah, it’s nice, it’s nice. You obviously go through wee patches where when you shoot, everything goes in. It was nice. I actually had a couple of sighters before that as well, so I was feeling good about arriving onto the box, and Reo shows a nice wee bit of skill to free me up, and thankfully it went in.”
Adam Idah, who also played his part in the victory, was full of praise for McGregor.
He said: “No, he’s doing a good job, he’s been brilliant. Every goal now he’s scored outside the box, I think, he’s been outstanding, and it brings so much to us as a team. To have every midfielder scoring goals, it helps us so much, and it’s got us here. I’m looking to keep working hard now and hopefully, he can get some more.”
Idah also mentioned how strong Celtic’s attack has been this season, starting back in August.
He said: “No, it’s great. It’s all come from the start of the season, you know, we’ve been fantastic. The passing quality we have, the goals we’re scoring, everyone wants to be on the scoresheet. It’s free-flowing football, it’s great to be a part of, and it’s just like keep building, keep building on it, you know, game after game.”
McGregor would reflect on the Hoops’ mindset as they approach the final weeks of the season.
He said: “Football’s got a funny way of keeping you honest. Obviously, the players know there’s a lot of football to be played, and to do the last little bit and get over the line, it’s always really difficult. It’s a nice reminder that you’ve got to stay on it.”
Idah, who is still chasing his first treble with Celtic, shared his excitement ahead of the final against Aberdeen.
He said: “Yeah, it’s fantastic. I came to this club to win trophies, and it’s another step closer. Aberdeen are going to be a great side; we’ve been here before, and it was a tough game, but it’s exciting. Another trophy we want to try and win.”
With the final in sight, Celtic fans will be hoping McGregor and his teammates continue their excellent recent form as they aim to secure a domestic treble. Idah responded to the criticism after a video went viral on social media midweek, scoring a goal to show why Brendan Rodgers rates him highly.
