Magnificent McGregor has to be the prize guy

THE way Allan McGregor is playing right now he could stop indyref2. He could even save Piers Morgan’s job. At the age of 39, the Rangers keeper is not simply playing well. He is defying the ravages of time with a level of excellence which makes it slightly tragic that he won’t play for Scotland at this summer’s Euros finals. It’s now 13 years since the old boy produced a stunning late stop in Bremen to keep Rangers on track for the UEFA Cup final. On Thursday night, he produced a twin. A fizzing header from a visibly disbelieving Lukas Masopust looked a goal all the way. Powerful and perfectly placed, McGregor not only managed to get a left hand to the ball. He held the thing. You wouldn’t have thought it was much of a stop from his underwhelmed post-match interview on BT Sport. ‘You react to it, stick your hand out and, hopefully, it doesn’t go in,’ he said, totally unmoved. ‘Happy days.’ Sometimes old pros lose motivation or physical powers and start sucking the oxygen from a dressing room with their cynicism. McGregor prefers to quietly drain the belief from opponents. Consider that fingertip save from Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths in Rangers’ Old Firm win in January. There are a number of reasons why Steven Gerrard’s team have toppled their bitter rivals from their perch this season. Yet nothing sets the two teams apart quite so much as their goalkeepers. When Fraser Forster left, Celtic inexplicably overlooked David Marshall to blow £5million on a Greek international who doesn’t make saves. Vasilis Barkas has spent this season jostling with Conor Hazard and Scott Bain for the No 1 shirt. Splice together a highlights reel from the three of them and you’d struggle to conjure up a single world-class save. Contrast that with McGregor, a keeper who consistently helps his team to win football games. When the Player-of-the-Year shortlists are assembled next month, it’s only right that one team sweep the boards. The defensive stats make a strong case for Connor Goldson. Some might feel they owe one to the 17-goal captain James Tavernier. Yet when the PFA Scotland and Scottish Football Writers’ voting forms go out next month, there should be no debate over the final winner. It’s Allan McGregor. every time.