THE VITAL SPARK

Lennon hails McGregor’s energy

THERE appears to be two sets of laws which govern the physical limitations of a footballer. The ones the vast majority are ruled by and those that Callum McGregor recognises.

Speaking at the end of a 69-game campaign for club and country in Belgium last month, by rights, the midfielder should have been lying in a crumpled heap through sheer exhaustion. Yet, there he was, talking about a week in the sun as almost a rude intrusion to his routine. When he predicted he’d be back in the gym after a few days on the sun lounger, you felt compelled to check if he wasn’t, in fact, battery powered. Those fearing the 26-year-old’s unstinting commitment to his craft will eventually take its toll can rest easy for now. McGregor’s zest against FK Sarajevo on Wednesday suggested even the shortest of breaks can have the desired effect. His goal, to clinch a 2-1 win, was a timely reminder of the core quality Neil Lennon has in his squad as he rebuilds. ‘He’s just brilliant,’ the Celtic boss said. ‘Absolutely brilliant. I don’t take his performances for granted. The more he churns them out, the more people take him for granted. ‘It’s a hard thing to do what Callum does, week in, week out at such a high level. And then he goes and gets the winner on Wednesday night as well. I think there’s more goals in him this season as well, hopefully.’ That McGregor could, if he so desired, play in the upper echelons of one of Europe’s top leagues has been a matter beyond debate for long enough. With a level of consistency to match an almost-perfect attendance record, frankly it’s a wonder that such talk hasn’t developed beyond an informed suggestion that Brendan Rodgers longs to see him in a Leicester City jersey one day. Seeing McGregor as a fulcrum of the side he is trying to build, Lennon, naturally, won’t countenance his departure at this juncture. Truth be told, though, the Celtic manager is taken aback that others haven’t already tried to force the issue. ‘I am surprised,’ Lennon said. ‘I’m happy there’s not (been a bid) as he’d be probably the last one I’d want to leave or even be unsettled at this stage. He’s pivotal to what we want to do going forward.’ Asked about the widely-held assumption that Rodgers will, at some point, make a move for his former charge, Lennon added: ‘It wouldn’t surprise me as he’s a top player but we want him here and want him to play in the hampions League.’ For all Lennon will need to recruit several new faces before the domestic season starts, players of the McGregor’s ilk offer comfort to a support that’s a little perturbed at the pace of negotiations. Ryan Christie falls squarely into that category too, the attacking midfielder having made the transformation from forgotten man to first name on the team sheet before suffering a horrific facial injury in the Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Aberdeen. His loss in the closing weeks of the season was amply illustrated as he outthought and outran the Bosnians, his exquisite first-half finish all but sealing Celtic’s progression to a date with Estonian champions Nomme Kalju. ‘Pivotal,’ Lennon replied when asked how important a player Christie will be in the coming ten months. ‘He made a great impact last year and that’s given him a huge shot in the arm. You could see, even so early in these two legs, he’s been outstanding. ‘He has that bit of the maverick about him in that he can make things happen in tight areas. He scored a wonderful goal against Sarajevo. One minute he’s off balance, the next he’s sticking it in, beautifully curling it around the goalkeeper.’ Kieran Tierney watched from the stand on Wednesday as he continues his rehabilitation from a double hernia operation but there’s every chance he’ll be Arsenal’s £25million property by the time he’s ready to kick a ball again in earnest. If such an huge sale would seem to diminish the possibility of another asset being sold, Lennon is adamant that market forces will dictate what happens. ‘Every player has his price,’ he said. ‘I said the other day that (Cristiano) Ronaldo left Manchester United, the biggest club in the world. We don’t want to sell any more top players if we can avoid it. The squad is a bit thin at the minute anyway, a couple of injuries and we would lack a bit of strength in depth.’ Tom Rogic, reportedly a target for Zenit St Petersburg, would surely be on his way if the Russians were to table an offer in the region of £9m but, for now, the trail has gone cold. ‘He is in rehab,’ said Lennon. ‘Obviously from the knee injury last season and he picked up an ankle knock in the cup final. He’s back out now, he looks great but he’s missed the whole of pre-season, so he has a bit of work to do.’