Calum McGregor is far too humble to even contemplate reaching the legendary status of Billy McNeill as Celtic skipper.
But it won’t stop him trying to match his trophy haul. Certainly on a domestic level.
Eight months on from taking on the weight of the Hoops armband the midfielder already has accomplished the first piece of a potential Treble.
But 20 years on from the day he first walked through the doors at Celtic Park as an excited member of the youth set up McGregor admits he still gets a tingle just walking among the statues of giants.
Nobody more so than the man dubbed Cesar.
McNeill’s nine titles, seven Scottish Cups, six League Cups and of course that historic European champions gong from 1967 will always see him stand out in front in the long list of icons in the east end of Glasgow.
McGregor ’s tally as a player isn’t to be sniffed at either. Six titles, four Scottish Cup s and five League Cups for a 28-year-old is no mean feat.
And while only the last of those, December’s Premier Sports Cup triumph, was won as skipper, he now finds himself entering the nitty gritty of a title tussle with Rangers that could see him take a giant leap into the pantheon of greats.
Not that McGregor would ever consider himself on Lions terms.
He said: “We don’t think that way at all, because what Big Billy and his team-mates achieved makes sure they stand alone.
“What they did for the club was huge, domestically and in Europe.
“No one’s come close to them, so all we can do is try to be a successful team in our own right. We’re focussed on the here and now of winning as many trophies as we can.
“Over the years, if Celtic teams have done well in Europe they tend to leave a pretty good legacy.
“Billy is probably the most iconic captain the club has ever had. He is certainly the most successful in terms of the big trophy.
“Guys like us aspire to be like Billy, who is a huge inspiration.
“We carry that with us every single day when we train and we try and get to a level where we emulate the success he had as a Celtic player and as captain.
“Seeing the statues keeps you humble. You walk in and see the size of the club, the stadium, I have been here 20 years but every time you walk through that front door you are humbled by the success
“It keeps you hungry. Keeps you wanting more. One trophy is not enough, you need to win two. Two’s not enough you want to win three.
“That’s the nature of the beast at Celtic. You have to win things and be successful if you want to be regarded as a good Celtic player.
“Every time you walk through that front door you are reminded of it.”
The added incentive to finish on top this year, of course, would be the elimination of the gruelling Champions League qualifiers in the summer and the £30m-plus windfall of the group stage jackpot.
McGregor is desperate to strut his stuff among the elite again.
But there’s plenty of hard work to do domestically to ensure he and his new-look side get that opportunity - and he gets the chance to lift the Premiership trophy for the first time as captain.
He said: “It would be a brilliant achievement if it happens.
“I’m trying not to put my mind in that place yet. There’s a lot of football to be played still. A lot of training sessions for us as a group to keep improving and getting better.
“As long as we do that, stay humble and keep working - lifting trophies and success is a by-product of how hard you work and the quality of that work every day - hopefully at the end of the season that’s the case.
“We’re a new group, learning all the time and we want to be back in the elite competition that is the Champions League.
“There’s a huge incentive this year with the chance to go straight into the group stage. Before if you won the league you still had four qualifiers to go through, which is pretty gruelling right at the start of the season.
“You’re not quite up to speed, new players have come in, other guys have been away playing internationals, but one mistake and you’re out.
“It’s pretty hard to get through eight games, so if we could win the league and go straight in, that’d be great for the club in terms of revenue, status, everything - it’s the bracket we want to be in.
Meanwhile, McGregor is truly thankful for the medical expertise in the modern game that has helped him play on despite fracturing his cheekbone.
The Celtic skipper has been forced to play the last 10 games with a protective mask after a shuddering challenge in the Scottish Cup victory over Alloa in January left him with a fractured cheekbone.
McGregor insists there’s a fine line between elite sport and safety that professionals walk every time they step onto the park.
But he’s also aware he’s plying his trade in an era where the health of players is taken more seriously than ever before.
The sad tales of Lisbon Lions Billy McNeill, Stevie Chalmers and Berti Auld’s battles with dementia are a reminder of a time when player health maybe wasn’t given the priority it now does.
McGregor said: “We have such a competitive environment and every day we are living on the edge of elite sport.
“But every day there is a light shone on player safety and as professionals it’s reassuring to know there is so much going on in the background to protect us.
“We are lucky to be playing in this era for that reason.
“We are always walking that fine line between elite sport and safety.
“It is a very, very thin line with no margin for error.
“But the club and the medical staff who dealt with me said, ‘look, if we get to a point where we think you can’t play then you are not playing.’
“I think you have to respect that because it’s their profession and speciality and their livelihoods and reputation on the line.”
Studies have shown that former players are three times more likely to contract neurological disease than people from other walks of life. The rates have been linked with heading balls.
And McGregor said: “It’s scary. We are not medical people so we don’t know if that correlates with playing football or not.
“But just to hear that stat about the probability compared to the average guy on the street..
“That’s where the fine line between sport and safety comes in.
“And with these surveys that are done it brings these conversations into the open.
“I’ve been really lucky that I’ve never really had anything like that in my family.
“Hopefully that continues and that’s why it’s fitting that Billy be recognised by this charity.
“There are so many families affected and given what Billy meant to our club it’s good for us to come and support people affected by this.”
• Callum McGregor was speaking at the launch of the Billy Against Dementia Golf Day and Dinner to be held on Friday, June 3, at Cameron House Hotel.
The dinner will be hosted by Sky Sports Hayley McQueen with funds raised going to providing respite care for former footballers suffering from dementia. The event is being supported by the SFA, SPFL and PFA Scotland and tickets can be booked on: www.eventbright.co.uk
