Brendan Rodgers has heaped praise on Celtic midfielder, claiming he has a “wonderful brain”.
The 25-year-old was given his break in the Hoops’ first team by Rodgers, and his former boss has spoken highly of his intelligence.
As quoted in the Daily Record, he said: “He has a wonderful brain for a ?footballer.
“But he was another, like James, who is consistent in training and games.
“He’s always had the capacity to play for a big club and deal with the ?pressure that comes with it.”
OPINION
This is big praise from Rodgers, but you can’t help feeling that Celtic fans might be a little irked by it. It’s all well and good praising his former playing staff, but that little comment at the end, claiming that McGregor could play for a “big club” will not go down too well at all with the Parkhead faithful. Celtic are a big club, and Rodgers should know that more than anybody. That passing remark shows just how he perceives the power dynamic within the Scottish game though. Even the biggest club, a treble treble winning behemoth, are not big enough. It’s why Rodgers went to Leicester City, and it’s why he believes McGregor could go somewhere else too. You can understand his reasoning, of course, but when all is said and done, Rodgers should be a little more sensitive to the feelings of a fanbase that gave him so much over the years.