Top Line Summary

  • Good to be back but needing to manage injury during the run-in
  • Seeing the bigger picture
  • Dealing with frustration
  • Superb midfield trio performance
  • Up there with the best-ever displays from a Celtic team at Ibrox

Everything that Callum McGregor had to say after Celtic's 3-3 Scottish Premiership draw with Rangers at Ibrox...

Was that a crazy game to return to?

There’s not much room to breathe out there, is there? It’s good to be back, obviously, and I thought the boys were superb, especially in the first half. We played with big energy and big ability and the only criticism that we have is that we didn’t go three or four [up], even at half-time because we were so good in the game. You know that the game is always going to turn at some point when you come here. They are a good side as well, they get the ball forward and once the crowd get involved in the game, it can be difficult. It’s still in our hands in terms of the games that will play out. We’ve left here in a positive place.

Are you quite happy with the point and the way things are looking?

Sometimes you’ve got to see the bigger picture as well. It’s always a tough game when you come here and probably the disappointment will be that we have drawn the game after being so positive and being so good in the game. There is probably a bit of disappointment on the bus, but we’ll dust ourselves down and look forward to the run-in.

How difficult a period has it been for you being out injured? Did you always target this match?

Yes. It’s a big game when you come here. You want to be involved and help the group as much as you can. As soon as we got the verdict, we tried to put all our eggs in the basket for this game. I never quite made it from the start, but I wanted to be here and if I had missed the game, I’d have been devastated. The positive is that the boys were so good. We played with big personality and quality, and we’ve come out of here in a positive place.

Will you have to manage the injury during the title run-in?

We’ll see how we go. I’ve had very few training games, but I am just trying to get up to speed and be involved in as many games as I can. I’ll be giving everything to try to play in as many games as I can between now and the end of the season.

When was the decision made about your involvement today?

Those decisions lie with the manager. I spoke to him on Friday and he gave me the call. That was fine. It’s always about the team, it’s never about me personally and wanting to play in the game or whatever. It’s about what’s best for the team. We tried to put all our eggs in the basket by getting involved in the game and trying to help the lads as much as I could. I’m delighted that performance-wise we were excellent and I’m just a little bit disappointed that we didn’t win the game, but I think it sets us up well for the season of the season. We’ll see how we react after this game. Every game is so important and we just need to continue how we have been in the last four or five weeks. We’ve trained really well, the games are coming once a week at this point, so all the focus is on the games at this point. When it comes to the games, we have to give our absolute maximum to win as many of them as we can.

You've got the home derby to look forward to now, haven't you?

They are all big games, but obviously, when you look at this fixture, there’s one to go. It falls with us being at home and we’ve got to try to take as much advantage of that as possible.”

Just how good were the midfield trio in your absence?

They were superb, but the whole team were outstanding. We had the confidence to play through the pitch and we were a real threat at the top end as well. The team performance was as good as I’ve seen here. In terms of the first 45 minutes, I thought it was outstanding. The only criticism is that we maybe don’t get the third goal to give us more comfort in the game. Second half, we showed good personality to get through the sticky spells as well.”

You've been part of the Celtic teams who have administered severe beatings here. Is that as good a performance as you've seen here?

In terms of performance - staying calm and showing composure, the football we played was outstanding. So definitely.

Has it been a frustrating period for you?

It’s been a race against time, to be honest, especially in terms of this one. You’ve got to try to be sensible and see the bigger picture, but this was a game I wanted to be involved in to help the club. I managed to do that so hopefully there’s no bad [achilles] reaction from it. We’ll just keep building from there and hopefully get stronger over the next few weeks.

What can you tell us about the full-time rammy?

It was just two passionate teams trying to win the game. Sometimes it boils over, but it was nothing.