Celtic captain Callum McGregor's future addressed by key figure - 'it's in their interests'

McGregor has come under the microscope this season, with Celtic three points adrift in the Premiership title race with five games to go. Some believe that the 32-year-old midfielder’s levels have dropped and he was linked with a January move to Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah, managed by his former boss Brendan Rodgers.

And earlier this week, former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie suggested the time might be right for McGregor and the club to part ways. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes and joins Brendan in Saudi - and he would go with my blessing,” he said. “Callum is getting overrun in midfield. There’s a big gap.”

However, O’Neill believes McGregor - who is contracted at Celtic until the summer of 2028 - is a leader both on and off the pitch and still has much to offer.

“From my time here, which has not been that long, I would think that for the football club, it’s in their interest to keep him,” said O’Neill. “He's a really good leader. I've said this umpteen times but it’s worth repeating again - in the dressing room he’s really good, but on the field keeps things moving along, good leader as well too. Players look to him as well, we all do. If I was around I would be saying to the board you got to be keeping him.

“I bet you there would have been in the past opportunities for him to have left and earned more money elsewhere. I'm not saying he's a pauper, what I'm saying is he could have done this, he could have gone when he was absolutely at his height. That speaks volumes for a lad who's got lots of loyalty.

“But it's not the loyalty, lots of people can have loyalty and not be able to play. He can do that. I think he's played a lot of games here this season. I think if he could get a proper rest in the summer he'd be raring to go again. But I think he's quality here, seriously, and I would be surprised if any manager stepped in here did not like his qualities both as a leader and as a player.

McGregor has been nursing calf and Achilles issues this season but he will be able to play some part for Celtic in their Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren on Sunday at Hampden after coming off last weekend on the 75-minute mark. “Callum is not any worse, that's good news,” said O’Neill. “He wants to play and it's a matter of maybe X number of minutes for him again this week.

“For him right now, I’m also guided by him and he would like to play. He missed out some big games but he did it for the good of the team. So he thought ‘I'm not capable of doing this’. If he said this to me tomorrow I wouldn't play him if that's the case, but he thinks he's capable of doing it and that if he stays on for as long as he did the last time, great news.

“Great news for us, but in the longer term of trying to stay in the league race, then of course if he picks up something then you’d think "oh okay didn't get that right.”