THE boardroom at Celtic Park holds some special memories for Callum McGregor. It was where he sat as an eight-year-old, alongside his parents, and signed his first ever agreement with Celtic, and it was where, last week, he penned a new five-year contract which will see him remain at the club until at least the summer of 2024.

At that point, his thoughts returned to that moment 18 years ago when he first set out on his Celtic journey.

Like every footballer, it has been a long, and sometimes arduous journey, with many highs and lows along the way, but it is testament to McGregor’s character and quality that now, at the age of 26, he is a key player in the Celtic team, having helped to deliver some momentous triumphs to the club. The most recent of those came last Thursday night when Neil Lennon’s side beat Lazio 2-1 in the Stadio Olimpico, to become the first Celtic side to win a competitive match in Italy and, as is so often the case now, McGregor was at the heart of that historic victory.

Speaking exclusively to this week’s Celtic View after signing his new five-year deal, McGregor said: “You’re so busy with the games and everything else that’s going on that it’s hard to take yourself back and reflect on the journey.

“But sitting here in the boardroom takes me right back to 18 years ago when I came in and signed my first contract.

“I came in originally as an eight-year-old kid, and now to be standing here 18 years later, having signed another five-year deal, makes me incredibly proud of what I’ve done and what I’ve achieved.

“I’m also thankful to everybody else around about me who have helped me get to this point, and obviously to the club as well for securing another contract for me.

“The last few years have been brilliant, with so many big games, big goals and trophies, that it’s hard to pick one out.

“It’s so important at this club that you also have to win with a style and that’s probably been the biggest thing over the past three or four seasons, for the club as a whole. We’ve won playing an attractive style of football, entertaining the fans.

“This year we seem to be back to our free-flowing best in terms of goals and everything else, and it’s all about the players now keeping our feet to the floor and going right through.

“With the standard we’ve set over the past few years, it does make it difficult but what’s good about this group is that they never want to rest on what they’ve done before.

“You come back in and see that fresh hunger to go and win everything again, and that’s what you have to do.

“And I think it helps that me, James (Forrest) and Scott (Brown) have done it over the past few seasons. We’ve got that relentlessness that we want to keep going, and anyone who comes in is aware that this is the standard and this is what we have to do – we have to win, we have to win well and we have to win every game.

“That relentlessness and ruthlessness really helps other players. This is the standard and if we go and set it, they will follow. So it’s important to have that group of experienced guys who can drive it.”

For the full interview with Callum McGregor and a FREE GIANT Lazio celebration poster, see this week’s Celtic View, out now.

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Callum McGregor in this week’s Celtic View on his new deal