Callum McGregor says the steely mindset of Celtic’s in-form Japanese stars typifies the strength of character which bursts throughout the entire Parkhead squad.
The captain will lead his team into another major showpiece occasion next month after the weekend win over Kilmarnock booked a berth in the Viaplay Cup final. McGregor’s men had to show grit and guts to match their ability in horrendous conditions which the skipper described as “wild”.
No one encapsulated their willingness for work better than opening goalscorer Daizen Maeda. The attacker has been in sparkling form since returning from his exploits at the World Cup in Qatar and bagged the crucial opening goal in the semi-final, even if he knew little about it as Kyle Lafferty’s dismal attempted clearance from an Aaron Mooy free-kick delivery rattled against his chest and shot high into the net. Maeda’s cultured finish in the second half which didn’t count due to an offside being awarded against teammate Kyogo during the build-up was sublime, yet, once again, the most impressive part about his game was his astounding levels of industry.
