Matthew Lindsay
CALLUM McGregor last night revealed he would like to finish his career at Celtic after signing a five year contract that ties him to the Parkhead club until 2024.
McGregor was targeted by Leicester City, where his former manager Brendan Rodgers moved last season, during the summer and the midfielder admitted he had been flattered to have attracted the interest of the former Premier League champions.
However, speaking in Rome ahead of the Europa League match against Lazio this evening, the 26-year-old, stressed he was delighted to have put pen to paper on a new deal and would be prepared to stay at the Glasgow outfit until he retires.
“It’s good to get it over the line and get that stability for the new few years going forward,” he said. “It was a no-brainer to go and sign on the dotted line.
“I started here as an eight-year-old. I have been here for 18 years now. To extend that to 20-plus years would be an amazing thing. It shows I am well regarded at the club when they hand you a big, big contract at this point. For me, it’s about trying to repay the club and keep paying well.
Asked if he could become a one club man, he said: “Yeah, I think so. It’s a real possibility. It’s a massive statement from the club. Obviously, I really value how highly they regard me. I think so. I am certainly looking forward to the next few years. Hopefully we can extend that even further and I could end up finishing my career at Celtic.”
McGregor revealed that Rodgers had congratulated him on his new contract. “He texted me just to say ‘congratulations, you really deserve it’,” he said. “He said he was happy for me. I just sent him a text back saying ‘thanks very much for everything you have done as well’.”
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