Callum McGregor is looking forward to this Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden, and described it as ‘the perfect game’ for the Celtic squad as they look to build on a positive midweek result under their new manager. Celtic go into the game as holders of the trophy, having won it last season with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over their city rivals. And while both sides go into the game on the back of recent changes in the dugout, it will be what happens on the Hampden pitch which determines which side of the city will be celebrating on Sunday evening. Speaking ahead of the Glasgow derby, the Celtic captain discussed the new managerial team of Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney. “They’ve come in with a real positivity,” he said, “and everything that the manager and Shaun have been saying has just been about reminding the players how good they are and what we’ve achieved. ‘Some new players have come in, but there’s a real good core of players who have won stuff at this club and staff as well that have been a massive part of that.’ “So they’ve been really positive and I think you could see that in the bounce from the performance the other night, and now it’s just about continuing that every three days until people are told any different. “If you’re asking someone to come with that much experience, the manager has been here before and he understands the fabric of the club, and talking about that continuity, it’s Celtic people who really understand the club. “And Shaun has been amazing. He’s come in and his work ethic is unbelievable. He’s making sure everyone’s okay, the training level was great, so it’s been a really positive bounce and I think we needed that. The spell that we were in was a little bit tough for everyone. “But we got a really good result midweek and now is probably the perfect game.“I’ve spoken to most of the players individually and we spoke in the changing-room on Tuesday morning, and then it’s just been constant ever since then. “I think the biggest thing when there’s change is, can you find some sort of a continuity in that, so myself, James, Ally – the boys who are senior players – along with the staff who’ve been here for a large period of time as well, everybody’s been looking at them for stability. “And I must say that every one of those guys have been amazing, so as much as there has been a little bit of change, the guys who have been there and done it in the building have been really good and really stable as well.” Celtic face their city rivals for the second time this season following a goal-less draw at Ibrox at the end of August. And Callum McGregor believes that, as always is the case in this fixture, the team which performs best on the day will come out on top, regardless of what else is going on. “If you want to get to the final, you have to beat whoever’s in front of you,” he explained, “and it’s Rangers this time so I’m sure the guys will be working really hard to come up with the game-plan. “Rangers have obviously done a few different things over the past couple of games – they’re also slightly new with a new manager – so I don’t think anyone knows exactly what to expect from the game but, for sure, the players will be super competitive and we can draw on the positive experiences that we’ve had. “Hopefully we do a lot right in the game to get us through to where we want to be, which is the final.” Watch Callum McGregor’s full press conference Reflections on recent events Getting back to winning ways New managerial team Captain’s role John Kennedy’s influence Brendan Rodgers’ tenure Semi-final preview Upcoming FixturesCeltic Vs. Rangers – Thu, Nov 11th 2025, 17:45
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