Brown hails sidekick Callum as he reveals quiet man is a big voice inside the huddle
CRAIG SWAN
At the same time, he has earned respect and trust from those within the Celtic changing room.
Brown sets the standards at Parkhead for the rest to follow on a daily basis and has done for more than a decade.
But he freely admits he now leans on McGregor at times and has outlined the levels of responsibility which the Scotland star has taken on as he has progressed through the years.
Brown said: “When you look inside a dressing room, you know that people will follow someone like Callum because he is a top player with drive and belief.
“I give him the respect that he deserves because he goes in and he speaks to all of the lads. He’s always got time and he’s a proper professional as well.
“When we were dealing with stuff when this [Covid-19 closure of football] all began to happen, he was my go-to man. He came up with a lot of things c.swan@dailyrecord.co.uk and has helped me out with a lot of the lads as well.
“It’s the mark of a captain that he can easily fall into that role.
“In the last year and a half I’d say, he’s got that proper willingness, drive and self-belief.
“When he talks before games now, all of the lads listen.
“Maybe three or four years ago, Cal might have said something and it might not have had the same effect.
“He maybe wouldn’t have felt himself that he should be saying it.
“But now everyone knows what Callum has done in the game and they listen.
“He’s a quality player who speaks well at the same time. “They have put that trust in him as well. When he has been captain, I’ve been in the dressing room and he speaks well.
“I know he’s the vice but it’s me and him who speak before the games as we chat away and relax. The lads will always listen to both of us but he speaks out so well and it’s those important things that he says.
“And he’s only going to get better because he is still young.”
As he prepares to turn 27 on Sunday, McGregor is approaching his peak years.
With the experience of playing in big games in pressure situations now added to his undoubted ability, boss Neil Lennon is getting the full package.
Lenny was at the club during his first spell as boss when McGregor was making his way through the ranks and agreed the loan deal which sent him to Notts County for five months.
Lennon could clearly see the potential back then and, with Deila having offered the initial chances to the kid and Brendan Rodgers then nurturing him into a top-class performer through his two and a half years at Parkhead, Celtic are reaping the benefit.
Brown gets a first-hand look at McGregor every week on the park as the pair dictate engineroom battles and he’s got nothing but good things to say about his team-mate.
The captain reckons his buddy is one of the first names jotted down on the team lines an hour before kick-off with his attitude and his ability making him an integral part of the Hoops’ recent domestic dominance.
Brown said: “The gaffer has put a lot of trust into Callum. He had him when he was here to start with when he was in and around the first team and out on loan.
“He understands what a topquality player he is because he has everything in his locker.
“Callum has that turn of pace to go past someone, he can drive, he’s aware and has the ability to find team-mates with passes and he can pop up with huge goals for us too.
“You can look at him as being the driving force in the middle of the park for us going from Brendan’s time on to Neil’s time.
“Callum has also got that composure as well and he dictates the pace of the game. He’s always on show to take the ball and he rarely gives it away.
“He’s the first name on to the teamsheet as he brings so much.”
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