Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong has drooled over Scotland teammate Callum McGregor, calling him a “very good leader”.
Armstrong has been selected for the national side alongside Celtic star McGregor, who captained the team in their 3-0 defeat to Kazakhstan on Thursday, adding that the way the 25-year-old conducts himself on the pitch is “exemplary”.
He says that McGregor is also a gifted footballer due to the way he is able to conduct play in the middle of the park.
“Cal is a natural leader on the pitch and a very good footballer too. He has respect from all the boys and the way he conducts himself with Celtic and on the pitch is exemplary. He spurs the team on and is a great individual to lead the team,” he said, as quoted by the National.
“The way he plays and dictates the game technically obviously helps and he helps the team vocally. He is a very good leader.
“He is very organised. Sometimes you play with players who are natural leaders on the pitch who spur the team on, not so much vocally but naturally with their play. Callum is definitely one of those players. He has a lot of respect in that sense. He is very good technically too. The team are delighted that he is going to be leading the nation as it were. It’s a great honour for Callum.”
OPINION
Armstrong is right to heap praise on McGregor in the way that he has – he has been impressive for Celtic this season. However, the same can definitely not be said for his performance for Scotland on Thursday. The whole team were dire, but McGregor will not be too pleased that he was the one who captained the side to such a horrific defeat. It was the worst we have seen from the national side in a very long time, and he will no doubt be embarrassed that he was leading it. To be honest, his teammates were just as bad as he was, so it is not like he will stand out like a sore thumb or anything. Nevertheless, he know that he can do better as both a player and as a captain, and he will be absolutely gutted after the result. He is capable of so much more, which is why Armstrong was right to heap compliments on McGregor in the way that he has here.