McGregor grateful to Deila for show of faith in trying times
CALLUM McGREGOR was preparing for the biggest game of his life when his attention was drawn to some concerning comments from the man who launched his Celtic career. Named in the team to face Barcelona for his first Champions League start, McGregor at once felt grateful to Brendan Rodgers for a firm vote of confidence, yet worried at the revelations made by former manager Ronny Deila.
Now manager of Valerenga in his native Norway, Deila confessed how he had suffered from anxiety towards the end of his two years in the job. ‘It took my freedom from me, the freedom to be myself,’ said Deila, before adding: ‘With hindsight I see that I didn’t have a chance to understand how big a club Celtic is.’
The words hit hard with McGregor given it was Deila who first gave free rein to his own talents, handing him a first-team debut in the Champions League qualifiers of 2014 and nurturing his development from fringe player to important squad member.
McGregor’s development has continued under Rodgers. While other midfield players such as Scott Allan, Kris Commons and Gary Mackay-Steven were quickly deemed surplus to requirements, the 23-year-old has dug in to make 17 appearances this term. Nevertheless he acknowledges
that without the Norwegian’s willingness to throw him in two years ago, he would not have been given the chance to test himself against arguably the finest club side on the planet.
‘I read it and it was not nice to see,’ said McGregor of Deila’s travails. ‘He gave me my chance here and I will always be grateful to him for that. It is a wee bit sad to read that sort of stuff. I think he would tell you himself it is a massive job and a massive club.
‘At Celtic you are leading people and you are leading a cause, so you have to stand up and be man enough. I didn’t sense anything at the time. Ronny was always positive. Every day when the lads came in he was always positive and tried to get the best out of us.
‘It says a lot about him that despite what he was going through he was still positive and dedicated at his work every day.’
Although Deila led Celtic to consecutive Premiership titles he quit after a second successive year of underachievement in Europe and two meek semi-final exits from the domestic cups.
If the Celtic job proved too big for him, the 41-year-old’s reputation remained strong in his homeland, where he had turned unfashionable Stromsgodset into champions. Valerenga stepped in to offer him a contract from January and then invited him to make an early start in his new role as the club battled relegation. Deila had an instant impact, winning his first game and ultimately keeping the club in the top flight. McGregor believes he will eventually progress to a higher level. He added: ‘The experience he had here will help him to go on and become a better manager. Just like players, coaches keep learning all the time and hopefully he will take the experience and make it better. He is young and has plenty of time on his side.’ Deila was at Celtic Park to watch his former club lose a compelling match by two Lionel Messi goals. He met with his successor on the night but Rodgers hardly seems likely to be consumed by the same demons or self-doubt while in the job. A Celtic fan from childhood and steeled in the bigtime following his Premier League spells at Swansea and Liverpool, Rodgers insists he actively welcomes the pressure of the post. ‘I saw Ronny the other night, briefly, and he’s a good man,’ said Rodgers. ‘Management is tough now with the focus and expectancy and he came into an absolutely huge club (compared to) where he was.
‘He’ll be better for it, there’s no doubt about it. The experience of being at Celtic is going to help him over the next 20 years as a coach and a manager and no doubt he’ll go on and do very well.
‘I never get too carried away when we win and never too disappointed when we lose. The pressure always comes from within to be the best you can be. You want the pressure. I came to Celtic because of the pressure and the intensity. It’s always there whether you like it or not, so deal with it. Simple as that.’
It goes without saying that McGregor found himself under a certain level of stress as he sought to make an impression on Barca. He had one second-half chance to influence the scoreline but, after leaping on to a loose ball, failed to dispatch his shot quickly or powerfully enough.
‘At this level you have got to move the ball quicker, your decisionmaking has to be sharper,’ he conceded. ‘You need to try to get used to that and get up to speed.
‘But you want to be part of these nights and to start the game was excellent. Hopefully, there is more to come.
‘The manager told me on Wednesday afternoon. I had sensed in training a little bit that it might happen but you try not to get too ahead of yourself.
‘I came on as a sub in the Nou Camp but this was totally different. We lost that first game 7-0 but we have been getting better. Unfortunately we know now we won’t have any more European football after Christmas, which is disappointing. We just need to turn our attention to the domestic football, starting with the League Cup Final against Aberdeen.’
People are leading a cause here, so you have to be man enough