Callum McGregor raring to go for Celtic in Champions League despite short break

Callum McGregor says the brief rest hes had is enough and he just feels lucky to be a footballer. Picture: Bill Murray/SNS

But despite his marathon 69-match season for club and country ending only when Scotland lost in Belgium last week, the midfielder insists he will have no trouble finding motivation required when Celtic travel to Sarajevo for the first leg of their opening qualifier on 9 July.

McGregor made a fairytale first team debut for Celtic in the Champions League five years ago, scoring the only goal in the first leg of a second qualifying round tie against KR Reykjavik in Iceland.

He has gone on to score six goals in 29 appearances in European football’s elite club tournament, a sequence which has included two participations in the group stage.

While the Europa League is some consolation for failure to negotiate four gruelling qualifying rounds in the Champions League, McGregor admits there is no substitute for dining at the top table with Celtic.

“Yeah, I think we missed it last season when we were in the Europa League,” said the 26-year-old. “We know how tough it is to get into the Champions League group stage because there are big clubs spending huge amounts of money to try to get there and some of them struggle. That’s how strong the competition is and everyone wants to be in it – it fuels the fans, the players, the whole club.

“Everyone wants to be there but we know how hard it is to get that. Hopefully, we can achieve that again this year. From the minute we report back for pre-season training, that’s the focus, that’s what we’re aiming for over those eight weeks of qualifiers.”

While many of the squad reported back for pre-season training on Monday, McGregor and others who had international commitments were given extra time off.

He will return next week for the champions’ pre-season trip to Austria and Switzerland, where they will play three friendlies matches, and is sanguine about his limited recovery time.

“It’s tough but that’s the situation we’re in and, if you want to be involved with top clubs, that’s the price you have to pay,” added McGregor. “You need to live your life properly and enjoy what time off you have without going too crazy.

“Basically, you need to have a good enough fitness level to allow you to go again almost straight away. It’s tough mentally, as much as anything but that’s just part of being a footballer, especially nowadays when you’re effectively playing 12 months in every year.

“Of course, we try to switch off but, like I said, it’s pretty much 24/7 for 52 weeks of the year so you tend not to switch off. Every conversation you have with the other lads in the Scotland squad is about football and that doesn’t change when you go back to your missus and your family – it’s still about what could be happening two weeks down the line.

“It’s pretty full-on but when you’re a young kid who just loves football, you feel lucky to be a part of that. Working as a professional footballer is the ultimate job and, in terms of the rest we’ve had in the last few years, a week off is probably enough for me. I’ll enjoy that week in the sun with the family and I probably won’t hit the gym while I’m away.”

McGregor ended last season chasing shadows for much of the night in Brussels as Scotland were outclassed by world No 1-ranked Belgium in a 3-0 Euro 2020 qualifying defeat. But that can ensure he hits the ground running in Sarajevo.

“When you move up to the highest level the ball is zipped around so much quicker,” he said. “You need to be able to cope with one and two-touch football and play with your head on the swivel as well.

“So the experience of facing teams like Belgium does help you when you go to play Champions League ties.

“We’ll start off again by playing qualifying rounds and having a challenge like Belgium just four weeks before we go into those games should help you get your eye in.”