McGREGOR SAYS HE LEARNED MORE FROM THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

He is Celtic’s man for the big occasion but, as Callum McGregor prepares to return to German soil once again, he admits he’s learned more from...

CONDUCT a straw poll among the Celtic squad for the most composed finisher at the club and the chances are Callum McGregor will figure near the top of the list.

Leigh Griffiths may be the most prolific and Tom Rogic the deadliest from distance, but perhaps only Odsonne Edouard can rival McGregor when it comes to calmness in front of goal.

McGregor tapped in the team’s sixth against St Johnstone a fortnight ago and his measured side-foot finish was typical of a player who has repeatedly exuded serenity in the pressured environment of European and Old Firm matches.

That marriage of temperament and technique may come in handy against RB Leipzig in midweek, as the 25-year-old prepares to play in Germany for the first time since he featured in a Champions League draw against Borussia Monchengladbach a couple of years back.

Still very much on the fringes of Brendan Rodgers’ team, McGregor admits he wasn’t quite so comfortable in his own skin as he ran on as a second-half substitute.

Played through on goal with just three minutes to go, his normal instincts deserted him and he skewed his shot wide, thus denying himself the claim as the first Celtic player to score a match-winning goal on German soil.

‘You need to go and make these mistakes to become a better player,’ he reflected. ‘Since then, my game has come on so much in terms of everything — tactically, my finishing and getting forward. My confidence levels have went higher too.

‘Everybody is going to make mistakes in their career. You couldn’t mention a single player who has not missed a one-on-one. It’s about being strong enough mentally to bounce back and try to prove people wrong.

‘You miss one chance but come back and score say the one against Bayern Munich last season. That’s a great example because it was probably the exact same situation.

‘A year on, I’d a bit more confidence, game time and experience and I put it under the goalkeeper rather than try to find the far corner.’

Since marking his Celtic debut with a winning goal against KR Reykjavik in 2014, McGregor has proved a European specialist. Memorable goals against Bayern and Zenit St Petersburg last season have been followed by another three in the qualifiers this season.

His trademark home strike against AEK Athens was not enough to secure Rodgers’ team a place in this term’s Champions League group stage but they have arrived in a Europa League section with a top-tier feel to it.

A win over Norwegian champions Rosenborg on night one was followed by a 3-1 loss in Salzburg. Celtic are not at the stage of ‘needing’ a result to help progress, but they will look to break even from their double- header against the Germans. ‘There are some really good teams in the Europa League,’ noted McGregor. ‘Leipzig are sitting second in the Bundesliga, so that tells you how good a side they are. ‘Salzburg got to the semis last season and knocked out some good teams along the way. ‘If we were to go and get a result against a team of Leipzig’s stature, with the money they have spent, it would probably raise some eyebrows. ‘The German teams seem to have the same structure in terms of build-up play — everything is quick, one and two-touch. They build through the pitch fairly quickly and then up top they have players who are slightly different, the soloists who can take the ball, go on a dribble and hit a shot.

‘They try to get the ball to those guys as quickly and efficiently as they can. That’s what I’ve found.

‘I think we’re better prepared for that now. The more European matches you play, you get a feel for how the foreign game is played.

‘It goes up a level in terms of the pace and tempo of the passing.

‘We need to defend well against that and be quicker in our play when we get the ball.’

By any measure, Celtic’s form has dipped during Rodgers’ third season in charge.

Although some fundamental issues remain, there were signs in the St Johnstone match that some of the old swagger had returned.

‘Building up to that game it felt like we were turning a corner,’ said McGregor. ‘We’d been creating chances and from there it was a case of putting the ball in the net. First half up there, I think every shot we hit went in and then the confidence comes flying back.

‘Everything seemed to click. In terms of getting a large scoreline, it was coming. We are at our best when we are really aggressive, pressing teams and winning the ball back.

‘One or two passes and then it’s a shot at goal. There were numerous examples of that at St Johnstone. It was important to get that big scoreline in terms of building the confidence to go on this next run.’

With skipper Scott Brown missing, McGregor anchored the midfield at McDiarmid Park, underlining his reputation as the most versatile member of Rodgers’ squad.

‘I’ve said before that I would play anywhere to get a game,’ he added. ‘With Broony missing and Youssouf (Mulumbu) carrying a knock, we

You need to go and make these mistakes in games in order to become a better player

needed somebody who would try to restrain themselves a wee bit.

‘It just required a wee bit more discipline when your first instinct is to go forward and join in. You try to see the game and cover gaps in case the ball comes back out and you’re needed to recycle it. It was a different role but I still managed to score so it was all right.

‘It’s another string to my bow. The more different positions you play, it definitely helps to stay in the team.’

If Brown is passed fit to play in Leipzig, McGregor will be freed up to play a more advanced role, but discipline will still be required against a team renowned for attacking at speed.

Should a chance present itself, he will invoke the memory of his big moment against Bayern.

‘When you play in these games and then something like that happens, it proves that you belong at that level,’ added McGregor.

‘You take great confidence from it and that’s a big thing for Scottish teams — that we have that belief that we can match these teams.’