Callum McGregor has made his position crystal clear — he doesn’t see himself leaving Celtic anytime soon, but there are two lines he won’t cross.
The captain, now closing in on 600 appearances for the club he joined as a boy, has built a legacy few can match. Ten league titles, six Scottish Cups, eight League Cups — his place in Celtic history is already secure. And like James Forrest, who recently signed on for another year, McGregor would prefer to see out his career at Celtic Park.
But it’s not unconditional.
Since taking over from Scott Brown in 2021, McGregor has tried to carry forward the standards he grew up with — particularly when it comes to competing in Europe. That’s where this season has left a sour taste. Celtic’s early exit from the Champions League, at the hands of Kairat Almaty, raised serious questions about where the club stands and whether enough was done to strengthen the squad.
McGregor didn’t dodge that conversation.
“We’ve already had that conversation (him and the board). I’ve made my feelings known that I want to be here — so it’s kind of on the club.
“I’ve always been the same. I want to be at Celtic — as long as the club want me there and as long as the club’s ambition matches my own in terms of playing at the highest level. For probably half the time I’ve been here, we’ve been playing in the Champions League or been in the Europa League, which is a really good standard of football as well.
“We have to continue to push and be as good as we can possibly be. I don’t want to sit here and be a Celtic captain who’s not winning anything. I’ve been very honest with everyone in that conversation. The people inside the club know it. If we’re not going to be the best version of Celtic then I don’t want to be the guy who’s not winning any trophies. That’s not me and not who I am.”
There’s no drama in how he says it, but the message carries weight. He wants Celtic to keep moving forward — not stand still.
Looking back on that European setback, McGregor pointed to how fine the margins can be.
“We should have been, and could’ve been, a Champions League club this year. We missed out on penalties. We had five chances in extra-time to score over there against Kairat Almaty and we didn’t. It’s not to say we’re not a Champions League club any more, or we are. We just have to aim to be as good as we can be in every area. Can we sign the best players that we can in each position?”
There’s been the usual speculation about his future, including links to a reunion with Brendan Rodgers in Saudi Arabia, but McGregor isn’t entertaining that — at least not right now.
“I want to be here, so let’s try and find a solution to that first. If the club don’t want me to be here then I won’t be here, it’s as simple as that.”
For now, his focus is firmly on the pitch. Celtic are still very much in the title race, sitting just a few points off the top despite what he described as a chaotic campaign.
“I don’t want to speak too soon, but it’s like you’re one result away really from being top of the league and being right in the conversation. So, despite the circus this year, all the noise, we’re still only three points off the leaders. That kind of tells you where it’s at.”
It’s a calm but firm message from the captain — he’s all in, but he expects the same from the club.
