'One of the most gifted' - Premiership boss names the Celtic player who could play for top 4 in England

Livingston boss David Martindale believes Celtic captain Callum McGregor is good enough to play for one of the English Premier League’s elite clubs.

The midfielder continues to play a hugely influential role for Ange Postecoglou’s side and Martindale is of the view he is on the same level or even better than some of Scotland’s finest exports currently plying their trade in England's top tier, name checking McGregor’s Scotland colleagues Kieran Tierney, Andy Robertson and John McGinn.

“I think Callum McGregor is one of the most gifted footballers in Scotland,” he told Open Goal podcast. “You won’t pick up the paper and see Callum McGregor all over the front page. He’s an unbelievable athlete and footballer. For me, he could go down south and play in the top four. I think he is so good, I think he’s brilliant. You look at the boys that are doing well down in England, Callum’s on the same level if not better than Tierney at Arsenal, Robertson at Liverpool, McGinn at Aston Villa. McGregor is phenomenal.”

Postecoglou hailed him as “an outstanding Celtic footballer who will be remembered long after I’m gone” back in December after he had returned from injury.

McGregor has had a previous spell in England, spending the 2013/14 campaign on loan with Notts County in the third tier. He finished the team’s top scorer with 14 goals in 41 appearances. Over the course of the next two seasons he would establish his place in the Celtic first team and has since gone on to play more than 40 games in each of the last six full seasons.