Celtic captain Callum McGregor has committed his immediate future to the club, emphatically declaring "this is where I want to be" despite recent transfer links away.
The Parkhead skipper had appeared to open the door to a summer exit towards the end of last season, warning that he would not stick around if the club failed to match his level of ambition. His comments came as Celtic were embroiled in an unexpected title fight with Hearts that went down to the final day of the season, when the champions eventually prevailed.
McGregor's Ambition Warning
He said: “So as long as the club want me there and as long as the club’s ambition matches my own, in terms of playing any the highest level.
“So we have to continue to push and be as good as we can possibly be. I don’t want to sit here and be a Celtic captain who’s not winning anything.
“So if we’re not going to be the best version of Celtic then I don’t want to be the guy who’s not winning any trophies.
“And I’ve been honest with everyone in that conversation. The people inside the club know it.”
That led to reports over the summer linking McGregor with big money reunions with more than one former Celtic boss: firstly Brendan Rodgers at Al Ettifaq and then Ange Postecoglou after his appointment by Al-Nassr, both in Saudi Arabia.
New Signings Satisfy McGregor
But with the new Premiership season just days away, McGregor seems satisfied with the ambition shown by the club after adding Colombian striker Camilo Duran and splashing a club record fee on Kasper Hogh.
"This is a football club that's been part of my whole life since I was eight or nine years old," he told Sky Sports.
"It's where I want to be, it's where I want to play football. And ultimately, I want to keep driving everything that I possible can to make sure this club is successful.
"Eventually, the day that you do leave it, you want to leave it in a really good place. We've signed two strikers, two really good players.
"Camilo's come in and done really, really well and big Kasper's just joined us over the last 24 hours. So it's good signs and positive steps to add to what is a really good group already.
"I spoke about this at the end of the season as well; I don't think there's a group of players or staff that could have got us through that difficult moment as much as these boys did.
"So it's about trying to add bits of quality, bit what we do have here is guys who want to work for the club, who are good footballers, who want to get better and ultimately did bring success to the football club during a diffiuclt season.
"We have the makings of a really good team but the standard for us is trying to get to Champions League football. It takes the club to a different level and that's where we want to be. Can we keep pushing this football club as staff and players to make sure we get there?"
