‘Brendan Rodgers changed the landscape of this club massively’ – Celtic Captain

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The Celtic Star

·31 Oktober 2025

‘Brendan Rodgers changed the landscape of this club massively’ – Celtic Captain

Callum McGregor spoke to the media today at Hampden Park ahead of the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against theRangers. The Celtic captain also praised Brendan Rodgers and John Kennedy for their massive contributions to Celtic and also gave an insight into how the new regime under Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney are getting on in the job…

Callum McGregor of Celtic at full time during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Could you take us through this week and tell us what it’s been like for you?

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Callum McGregor: “Fast-paced, a lot of change, still busy with games, which is ultimately the biggest thing at a football club, is to win games. In the middle of all the change, the players have had to stay focused as much as they possibly can and lift themselves after a difficult weekend to go win a game of football, which I thought we did really well.

Callum McGregor shakes hands with Brendan Rodgers. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: You were close to Brendan Rodgers. When did you find out, and just your reaction to it?

Callum McGregor: “I found out the same as everyone else. I spoke to the manager 10, 15 minutes after it, and we had a chat, which will stay private for obvious reasons. Everyone was in the same boat. It was a shock at the time. Then very quickly, I was five minutes away from going to bed, and then you’ve got to deal with the aftermath of that. I spoke to some of the players, and then we came back in on Tuesday. It’s business as usual because you have a game of football to play the next day, and it’s about preparing the team and preparing the players to win that, which was a must-win.”

Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney celebrate Celtic’s opening goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: How helpful has that been, that schedule? Because you don’t really have time to maybe wallow in some of the other stuff. What’s it been like under Martin and Shaun?

Callum McGregor: “It’s been great, to be honest. They’ve come in with real positivity, and I’ve heard everything that the manager’s been saying and Shaun’s been saying. It’s just about reminding the players how good they are and what we’ve achieved, albeit some new players coming in, but a really good core of players that have won stuff at this club and staff as well, that have been a massive part of that. They’ve come in, they’ve been really positive, and I think you could see that in the bounce from the performance the other night. Now it’s just about continuing that every three days until people are told any different.

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Callum McGregor and Brendan Rodgers with the Premier Sports Cup after Celtic’s victory over theRangers on 15 December 2024 at Hampden Park. Photo Kenny Ramsay

Q: Does it feel strange for you, because this club is so stable? Manager-wise, it’s very rare to make a change. Brendan Rodgers resigned himself, but mid-season. Have you had to take on a bigger mantle as captain than you already do? Have you had to address the players?

Callum McGregor: “I’ve spoken to most of them, probably individually. We spoke in the changing room on Tuesday morning, and then it’s just been constant since then, really. I think the biggest thing when there is change is, can you find some sort of continuity in that? James, Ali, and I, as well as the senior players, along with the staff who have been here for a large period of time. I think everybody’s been looking at them for stability, and I must say every one of those guys has been amazing. So, as much as there has been a little bit of change, the guys who have been there and done it within the building have been really good and really stable as well.”

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, and John Kennedy enter the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League match between GNK Dinamo and Celtic FC at Stadion Maksimir on December 10, 2024. (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)

Q: Can I ask you about John Kennedy as well? He’s been here for such a long time. What’s your reaction to him leaving? Will he leave a big hole in the club?

Callum McGregor: “Absolutely. I think Kendo’s contribution over the last 25 years that he’s been at the club has been incredible. Assistant manager to three, four, or five different managers, and has always been the one constant for the players and the staff, everyone at Lennoxtown, everyone at the stadium. He took a lot of responsibility, and someone I have huge admiration for, working over the last 10 years with a really close personal and professional relationship, and he was someone you could rely on in difficult times. So, he’s been amazing. I also don’t think he got the credit that he deserved to be at this club for such a long time and do the job that he did. It was outstanding, and it is a big hole that will need to be filled. I think it’s right to acknowledge how big a part of the success he was because he was absolutely first class. I think he’ll be hard-pushed to find a better assistant manager. He was really top-level.”

Brendan Rodgers and Callum McGregor with the Scottish Cup on 25 May 2024, after Celtic’s 1-0 win over theRangers in the final at Hampden Park. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Q: How do you think Brendan’s going to be remembered here? How will you remember him here?

Callum McGregor: “A very successful manager over two spells. I think, hopefully, he’ll be judged on what he’s done for the club. Going back 10 years, he changed the landscape of this club massively. The professionalism has continued even the first time when he left. I think everybody looks for reasons why we were so successful even after he left the first time. It was because of the values and the work ethic that he instilled when he came in the first time. That’s carried us right through a long period of time. He’s come back. He’s added more success to that. Unfortunately, in football, everything comes to an end. As a club, we have a lot to thank him for. We wish him well, of course. I’ve known him for a number of years now. He was amazing for my career and has done so much for me. On a personal level, I’ve got so much to thank him for. I’m sure whatever he does next, he’ll be a big success.”

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Q: Is it disappointing the manner in which he’s had to go?

Callum McGregor: “Of course. Very rarely do you get the fairytale ending. You look at Joe Hart, that’s probably the best ending I’ve ever seen at Celtic. That’s once over, however many years I’ve been here. That’s football. We’re all in the industry. We know how it goes. It can be brutal at times, and that’s the way it is. As long as you’re here and you’re in the building and you’re working for a football club, you try and give as much as you can. You try to be as successful as you can for yourself and your club, and then when you move on, that is life.”

27 August 2000: Stilian Petrov of Celtic celebrates during the Scottish Premier League match against Rangers at Celtic Park. Celtic won the match 6-2. Photo Stu Forster /Allsport

Q: Martin O’Neill’s first experience of this fixture was 6-2 at Celtic Park. What age would you have been then? What do you remember of that?

Callum McGregor: “I’d have been seven. Not too much, to be honest. That’s a stretch for me.

Q: Martin, on the pitch with Shaun, what’s that been like, the transition?

Callum McGregor: “Really good, really positive. To ask a guy to come in with that much experience, who’s been here before, understands the fabric of the club. Talking about that continuity, it’s Celtic people who really understand the club. Shaun has been amazing. He’s come in; his work ethic is unbelievable. He’s making sure everyone’s okay. The training level was great. I’ve seen a bit of it this morning. There’s been a really positive bounce, and I think we needed that. I think the spell that we were in was a little bit tough for everyone. We came in, we’ve liked the slate clean. We’ve got a really good result mid-week, and now it’s probably the perfect game.”

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Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Martin said the other day it was quite surreal to be back here. Is it that for you? You’d have been 12 when you were in the academy. For you, the first time around, did you just get used to it after a couple of days? Does it still seem a bit strange to you to be interacting with him like this?

Callum McGregor: “It was almost a full generation ago that he was here for the first time. You’ve seen the team being super successful, winning trophies, and getting to the UEFA Cup final. I was coming through the academy, so at that time it was really inspiring to have the first team performing so well. You’ve seen how big the club was, and you think, well, one day I want some of that. So, to actually be here working with him on a really personal level, it’s amazing. He’s been great. He’s sharp as a tack. He’s a really good person, and he’s got good people around him. So hopefully, with a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck, we’ll be successful.”

Shaun Maloney and Martin O’Neill at Celtic Park on October 28, 2025 (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Q: He comes in with a press conference. You can see his charisma and his way he talks. Is that helpful in a week when you had a big shot like that?

Callum McGregor: “I think so. He’s quite a funny character and just lightened the mood a little bit. So it helped the players because sometimes you don’t know how to feel when there’s a change. Right away, when he spoke to the players, it made them feel at ease. And then, obviously, winning games is the biggest thing that helps everyone at a football club. So to come in very quickly, spoke to the players, and we then won the game. Everyone’s now naturally feeling good about themselves.”

Callum McGregor of Celtic reacts after missing the team’s first penalty in the penalty shoot out during the Scottish Cup Final match between Aberdeen and Celtic at Hampden Park on May 24, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: The Scottish Cup final was very emotional for you. How do you feel about going back to Hampden?

Callum McGregor: “Fine. Much more positive than negative. So for me, you’ve got to deal with disappointment as a footballer. I had so many good days at Hampden, so there was bound to be a bad one at some point.”

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Celtic v theRangers – Callum McGregor scores Celtic’s third goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

Zombie Q: Your record against (the)Rangers in 90 minutes, do you think that needs to be addressed soon, as in this weekend?

Celtic v theRangers – Callum McGregor celebrates scoring Celtic’s third Celtic goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

Callum McGregor: “So, I think probably from that point, you then go back a while, and then it was pretty good. Maybe the last three or four games have not been great, but you have to find a way to win the game. If you want to get to the final, you have to beat whoever’s in front of you, and it is (the)Rangers this time, so I’m sure the guys will be working hard to come up with the game plan. (the)Rangers have done a few different things over the last couple of games. They’re slightly new as well. We have a new manager, so I don’t think anyone quite knows exactly what to expect from the game. For sure, the players will be there. They’ll be super competitive, and we can draw on the positive experiences that we’ve had. Hopefully, we get there and we do a lot right in the game to get us through to where we want to be, which is the final.”

Callum McGregor applauds the Celtic support. Celtic’s 6-0 win against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday 28 September 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: You have been so dominant against (the)Rangers over your career. As you touched on, the last three or four haven’t been the results you’ve been looking for. Do you think that’s because… Is it down to your level, or do you feel that (the)Rangers have played above themselves recently in these matches?

Callum McGregor: “I think it’s whoever performs on the day, to be honest. I think it’s two really good teams, two good squads, well-matched. The game is what the game is. It’s on the edge. Whoever plays at home generally has the advantage. There has been a lot of change for both teams. So, I think it might be the team that is more stable and makes fewer mistakes in the game. It will probably be a game of moments. So, we have to try and make sure that we do enough right in the game to edge that probability towards ourselves. If we can be clinical in the moments that we get, then we’re hoping for a positive outcome.”

Callum McGregor with the Premier Sports Cup after Celtic’s victory over theRangers on 15 December 2024 at Hampden Park. Photo Kenny Ramsay

Q: Is this the perfect opportunity you’re looking for? The win on Wednesday was important, but just to get positivity in the club and togetherness that you’re looking for as well in terms of a semi-final against (the)Rangers?

Callum McGregor: “Probably, like I said, this is the perfect game. You’re looking at all the different competitions, and you want to be successful in them all. The next game is the most important, and this is where we are now. We’re a couple of days away from a big semi-final, and both teams have undergone a bit of change, so you think whoever can win the game. If it’s us, it can give everyone a lift, it can give the supporters a lift, the players, the manager, the club a lift. So, these are the types of games that you have to win if you want to be here for a long period of time.”

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, signed copies by Danny McGrain available from celticstarbooks.com

Don’t miss the chance to purchase the late, great Celtic historian David Potter’s final book. All remaining copies have been signed by the legendary Celtic captain Danny McGrain PLUS you’ll also receive a FREE copy of David Potter’s Willie Fernie biography – Putting on the Style, and you’ll only be charged for postage on one book. Order from Celtic Star Books HERE.

Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books