CALLUM MCGREGOR has told Celtic he is all in for next season’s push to make history, pledging that he will not be leaving the club this summer.
McGregor was the subject of transfer speculation linking him with a move to Leicester City last year, and a reunion with former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, before penning a new long-term deal to remain in Glasgow.
He is the now first high-profile Celtic star to publicly answer captain Scott Brown’s call earlier this week to commit to the tilt at a record tenth title in a row.
"Absolutely [I will be staying],” McGregor said. “I am loving my Celtic career and it seems to be going from strength to strength.
"I signed a long-term deal last year. That's what I wanted, that's what the club wanted.
"We were desperate to get nine in a row and now we can put all our energy into trying to finish the job. That's the vision the club spoke to me about. That's where they see Celtic going.
"They want Celtic to be dominant and I want to be part of that. It's why I pledged my long-term future to the club.
"We have done well to have this period of dominance and we want to continue it.”
McGregor admits that there was a possibility he could have left the club last summer despite his desire to stay, but he was delighted to eventually commit his long-term future to Celtic.
"I was at that stage of my career when you see things happening and stuff gets said in the press,” he said.
"I felt at the time that I probably could have gone, but I wanted to stay at Celtic.
"I wanted the club to show me how much they valued me as well.
"It went pretty quickly when we talked. The club told me they were desperate for me to stay.
"They could see a long-term future for me at Celtic and said, 'This is how highly we value you'.
"The plans going forward were outlined and as soon as I heard that, it was a no-brainer.
"I am a Glasgow boy and that's all you want the club to say - 'We really respect you and this is the plan going forward'.
"They wanted me to stay and I need to thank the club for the tremendous loyalty they showed me.
"It's something I will always be grateful for and it's why I try to defend the club's honour every time I pull on a Celtic strip.
"I will always give my best and it ended up the perfect scenario.”
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