Where Callum McGregor stands in Scotland midfield pantheon - and what his retirement means for Billy Gilmour

So farewell, then, Callum McGregor, who might remain for how much longer the last man to score a cleanly-struck goal for Scotland at a major finals?

The 31-year-old has announced his international retirement. While not necessarily expected, it had been mooted, with Scott Brown among those who have commented on the possibility. After all, there was no one better qualified to ask. He once made the same decision at the start of a World Cup qualifying campaign only to later reconsider.

The similarities are striking. Like McGregor, Brown was captain of Celtic. He was the same age – 31. He had also become increasingly hampered by injury the longer he was operating in the midfield hothouse at Parkhead. Manager Brendan Rodgers reckoned Brown extended his Celtic career by a further few years through focusing on his club although the player himself couldn’t resist coming back briefly to the international arena, where he played a further five matches to leave him on 55 caps.  

There’s no suggestion that McGregor might yet do this; 63 Scotland appearances will very likely remain 63 Scotland appearances. Three goals will remain three goals, including the one he rifled into the net from the edge of the box against Croatia at Hampden at Euro 2020.

He doesn’t seem the type to make such a big decision and then recant. And while Gordon Strachan really needed Brown in 2016 as Darren Fletcher fought injury and health issues, current manager Steve Clarke does have sufficient cover. That’s not to say someone like Kenny McLean can do what McGregor does. Few can. In terms of a box-to-box midfielder, Scotland have had few better this century.

His advancing years combined with tactical set-up might have restricted his adventures somewhat in recent times but in tandem with Billy Gilmour he helped provide a solid midfield base. Gilmour will certainly miss him although he will also be granted greater responsibility, as well as more caps. 

McGregor will be the first to admit it didn’t quite happen for him or anyone else at Euro 2024 this summer. Indeed, that experience may well have influenced his decision. It must have been dispiriting to see so much hype come to naught.

He may well have reasoned that it would be difficult to go again when there was already so much on his plate at Celtic, who have the new Champions League format to negotiate this season. Whether they qualify for the knock-out stage or not, Celtic will still have to play two extra games.  

As for Scotland, people were already calling for new blood. It's Clarke's task to identify these players and, in some cases perhaps, persuade them. The manager's first public words post-Germany saw him praise McGregor in a statement released by the SFA shortly after Celtic published the retirement news. "A coach's dream," Clarke called him. 

McGregor will be a loss, undoubtedly. He will have gone through agonies in the process of making this decision, having represented Scotland at every level from Under-15s up.

And as Brown said a few weeks ago while recalling sitting watching Scotland start a World Cup qualifying campaign without him, and realising he felt bereft: “It’s on you, wee man!”