Luke McCowan has set his sights on becoming a regular starter for Celtic this season after playing his first pre-season minutes on Friday night.
The 27-year-old featured in the opening 45 minutes of the 1-0 win over Queen’s Park at the City Stadium, a promising start to what he hopes will be a defining campaign in his Celtic career.
The former Dundee man, who joined Celtic on deadline day last summer, enjoyed a respectable debut season in Glasgow. While often used from the bench, McCowan impressed with his energy and technical ability in limited appearances, earning praise for his role in tight games.
McCowan is determined to push for a place in Brendan Rodgers’ starting eleven. The midfielder is focused on improving his game and learning from the experienced figures around him at Lennoxtown, including captain Callum McGregor and club stalwart James Forrest.
Speaking to CeltsAreHere after the win over Queen’s Park, McCowan shared his mindset ahead of the new campaign and outlined the standards he’s setting for himself in 2025/26.
He said: “I’m feeling great. It’s good to get a pre-season and just work on the parts of my game that I need to improve. Hopefully by the time the league comes that I’ve improved and I can use it going into the season.
“Aye, possibly. Every day is a learning day and you want to take as much information as you can when you’re playing with guys like Cal and Jamesy and all the leaders in that dressing room. I just need to hopefully become as much a leader as I can this year again and have a good season again.
“100%. If you don’t think like that, there’s no point in continuing. I just need to keep, as we said there, every day is learning. I need to keep doing it and using it and stay motivated and hope that this season could be even bigger than the one last year.”
McCowan’s hunger to grow into a leadership role at Celtic is clear, as is his belief that he’s got more to give. With pre-season offering a chance to impress Brendan Rodgers and sharpen up physically, the next few weeks could be vital for the midfielder’s push.
Celtic’s depth in the middle of the park remains strong, with competition fierce for places. But McCowan’s versatility and willingness to learn could prove important as Brendan Rodgers shapes his squad for a demanding campaign at home and in Europe.
Having already earned trust in cameo roles, the former Ayr United academy graduate now has his sights set on cementing a spot in the starting line-up. His attitude and work ethic could help make that a reality.
Celtic fans will be watching closely over the coming pre-season matches to see if McCowan can build on this early momentum and carve out a more prominent role in green and white.
