LET ME BE THE FORCE THAT DRIVES US ON
McGregor vows to take on mantle of McLeish’s midfield playmaker
THE last time Scotland stood two games from a tournament play-off, Callum McGregor was left sitting on the bench.
Overlooked by Gordon Strachan before receiving a late call-up for the closing double-header of the World Cup qualifying campaign, he was still denied a chance to affect the national team’s fate.
The Celtic midfielder had to watch in frustration from the sidelines as hope slipped away in an agonising 2-2 draw against Slovenia.
McGregor is determined things will be very different this time. Both in influence and outcome.
He has been outstanding for his club since being asked to take over from the injured Scott Brown at the very heart of Brendan Rodgers’ side.
And, having thrived on that responsibility, the 25-year-old feels ready to accept whatever burden Alex McLeish (below) might ask him to carry in Albania tomorrow evening.
The assignment in Shkoder is followed by Tuesday’s home meeting with Israel at Hampden. Positive results in both would dispel the pessimism that has lingered since last month’s bleak reverse in Haifa and see Scotland top their Nations League section.
That, in turn, would guarantee a place in the Euro 2020 play-offs before the regular qualifiers kick-off next March.
The twin tasks of the coming five days bring no little pressure. But McGregor is primed to meet it head-on. Thirteen months after being left out in Ljubljana, he is eager to make his mark when it matters.
‘You have ups and downs in football and, obviously, just over a year ago, that was the case,’ he reflected.
‘I was disappointed. I was desperate to play. I was doing well at club level and scoring goals. Sometimes football has a funny way of working in that you can chuck a player in there and he can do something.
‘You know when you are doing well and there was a bit of talk about it at the time, but managers have got the players they trust and the team was doing well at that point. They were right up towards qualifying. ‘You don’t have an argument when that is the case and the boys are doing well. It was just a case of me biding my time. I had just sort of burst on to the Celtic scene again at that time, scoring goals and playing well in big games. So to go straight into the internationals might have been a jump too much.
‘You just never know in football. For me, it was just getting to that stage and really building on my Celtic career first.
‘Now I have 200 games for Celtic and feel established, so I try to kick on and be a part of the Scotland stuff.
‘It wasn’t to be for me on that occasion, but that will drive me on to try and get Scotland success in the future.’
McGregor only made his Scotland debut in last November’s friendly defeat against Holland. Such has been his form for Celtic, however, that he is now the man upon whom many in the Tartan Army will be pinning their hopes.
‘It is crazy how quickly football changes,’ he smiled. ‘You just never know what is going to happen. It has come full cycle in just a year.
‘I am the type of player and the type of guy who wants people to look at me and say: “He is the type of player who is going to drive the team forward” or “He is going to go in there and make the play”.
‘When you play at a big club like Celtic, that is expected of you and I am the type of boy who wants to take the responsibility.’
He has certainly thrived in Brown’s role. It’s one thing orchestrating play in the Scottish Premiership, but McGregor looked every bit as comfortable during Celtic’s impressive recent Europa League success over RB Leipzig.
‘The European stuff is a step up in terms of not having the ball as much,’ he admitted.
‘You have got to be wary of your space, so I was interested to see what the level was like in terms of stepping up again.
‘But we had a great night. It gave me confidence that I can play in that role at such a high level.
‘Whether or not I am asked to play in that position for Scotland by the manager — or wherever I am asked to play — I will certainly try and give my best.
‘It is a team effort and everyone has to muck in.
‘We have got to be better than
what we were in the last trip and we need results.
‘The players know that, the manager knows that and we are all working well.’
McGregor’s seemingly endless adaptability has led Rodgers to frequently laud his tactical brain.
The Parkhead manager joked recently that he could even stand in for superstar quarter-back Tom Brady in the NFL. That rather cerebral appreciation is no accident. McGregor remains an avid student of the game, always watching matches through an analytical eye. ‘I try to watch as much football as I can,’ added McGregor. ‘In the big Champions League games, you watch players in different positions and see how good they are. ‘When you get a chance to see it live, you then realise how good some of the players are. ‘I’ve always had a tactical idea in terms of watching football and trying to understand the game. ‘Just with the amount of games I’ve played and the amount of positions, you start to realise what it takes to play in each position.
‘Different positions require different attributes and I’m always watching a game to see what else I can do, how else can I help?’
It makes him sound as though he is destined for the technical area but he knows any form of coaching can wait for now.
‘I would quite like to be a coach one day,’ admitted McGregor. ‘It’s too early to think about it now.
‘But I do think I have that eye when I’m watching football to try to watch it tactically as opposed to wherever the ball is going.’
When it comes to key Scotland games, however, McGregor has had enough of watching. This is his time for action.