CALLUM McGREGOR CELTIC COMMENTS SPOT ON: I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Jun 30
- 2 min read
Callum McGregor, like the true leader he is, spoke with great honesty and frankness the other day about the pain of Celtic’s Scottish Cup final loss, and the subsequent failure to land another domestic treble.
It reminded me of something I went through as a youth.
Callum McGregor Celtic Cup Final Agony Reminded Me of My Own Painful Brush with Defeat
Though I may look more like a sumo wrestler these days, there was a time in my youth when I was a pretty decent martial artist. I even won a couple of Scottish national tournaments.
However, the biggest lesson I ever learned was in defeat. I was 16, at my first tournament and expecting to lose in the first round, since I had no idea what to expect. But amazingly, I got through to the final. The guy I was fighting in the final was smaller than me, looked tired and I thought “I’ve got this, the title is in the bag!”
He then proceeded to beat seven shades of the proverbial out of me, and deservedly took the gold medal. I went home with a silver medal and lots of bruises, mostly to my ego.
However, I”ll never forget what my coach said to me that day, and I’m sure Brendan Rodgers probably said something similar after our loss to Aberdeen. My coach said: “I know it hurts now, but this will make you stronger. You learn more about yourself when you lose than you do when you win.”
This certainly seems to be the type of wisdom that Callum McGregor has taken from last season’s Scottish Cup Final.
Incidentally, about 6 months after my own defeat, I faced the same guy at another tournament, and having learned his style, I took home the Scottish Open title that day.
Based on Callum McGregor’s comments it seems he believes this Celtic squad will also emerge stronger, hungrier and more determined to put things right next season.
Sometimes a humbling defeat, especially in a game you’re expected to win comfortably is exactly what you need to kick you out of your complacency.
We play Aberdeen on August 10th at Pittodrie. Our first away game of the season.Callum McGregor will clearly be a man on a mission that day. I hope the rest of the Celtic squad will follow his example.
Not only is that match a chance for revenge, it is also the perfect platform to set us up for an August run of games that could define our season.
Personally, there’s no-one else I’d rather have leading us into that difficult run of games than our captain, Callum McGregor, Celtic legend in the making.
