Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor has insisted that the win over Rangers in the Glasgow derby before the international break proved that the Bhoys can still turn it on in big games.
Brendan Rodgers’ men were on the receiving end of a lot of criticism when they failed to book their place in the Champions League this year after crashing out to AEK Athens in the qualifying stages.
The result was seen as a huge disappointment and it did not take too long for the sharks to circle around the manager, questioning his tactics as well as inability to strengthen the squad in the summer.
However, the 1-0 win over Rangers in the derby at Parkhead before the international break helped Rodgers and the players breathe a sigh of relief as they had also secured their berth in the Europa League following their playoff round win over FK Suduva.
McGregor, who scored during Celtic's second leg win over Suduva, admitted that the win over Rangers acted as a huge boost for the Bhoys as they proved that they can still step up during big games.
“The Rangers match was crucial”, McGregor told the Herald.
“We felt that we had to put down a marker and let people know that we’re still here and we’re not going away.
“The performance on the day was excellent and if Allan McGregor hadn’t pulled off a string of excellent saves then we’d have beaten them by three or four goals again.
“It’s good for us to know that we’ve still got that in our locker and that we’re able to turn it on when it comes to the big occasions”, he added.
Celtic will next face Rosenborg in their Europa League Group B clash on Thursday.
