Callum McGregor sends Celtic message to Ange Postecoglou as he lays down challenge for Hoops stars

Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor insists everyone at the club is excited for a new start after Ange Postecoglou’s appointment.

He’s expected to be named Hoops skipper after Scott Brown’s exit to Aberdeen, and he reckons it’s up to the likes of him and James Forrest to ensure the transition from Neil Lennon to Postecoglou is smooth.

McGregor is currently away on international duty with Scotland at Euro 2021 but admits he’s already looking forward to getting back for pre-season.

John Kennedy is likely to take the early days before Postecoglou eventually takes over properly when they head to Wales for a training camp ahead of the Champions League qualifiers.

McGregor knows they have to hit the ground running after a disappointing campaign last year and he’s excited to see what sort of football the new man gets Celtic playing.

He said: “It’s a fresh start and exciting times for the club to begin a new chapter as well.

“A new manager coming in will always have his own ideas on the way he wants to play football, and the way that he sees football – how people act around the building, what he wants his team to look like – so it’s a clean slate for everybody, and we just need to come back and try to impress as much as we can in training and in the games when we get the chance as well.

“At the end of every season you go away and reflect on how it’s gone and how you’ve done, and how you can do better. Then you come back for the new season with new goals and that’s the same this year again as well.

“With the new season coming around, everybody wants it to be successful but we know that the hard work starts as soon as we get back into pre-season. That element is absolutely vital and very important to having a good start in the season.

“In football there are so many approaches and styles of football, and when you meet a new manager, you’re always open to learning new things and what he sees the game looking like.

“He’s there to help you and you’re there to learn from him as well, so that’s the exciting part of meeting new people in football.

“He’s coming from a different continent and it maybe falls on the likes of me and James who’ve been at the club for a long time to try and help, and know what’s around the corner in terms of games, and we’re obviously happy to do that and work together.

“But he’s a smart guy, he’s had a really successful career as a manager so he’s going to have huge amounts of knowledge anyway.”