While players and managers come and go, doing so like there's no tomorrow this season in particular, Callum McGregor remains a constant in this Celtic team. The 32 year old has won ten Premiership titles, six Scottish Cups and eight League Cups to date, and could be hoisting two more trophies aloft across the next two weekends. The Celts kept their Premiership title hopes alive by beating Rangers 3-1 at Parkhead on Sunday, with the club captain breaking a modern day record in the process.
This was McGregor's 48th Old Firm appearance, the most of any player in the 21st century. His statistics in Glasgow derbies overall make for impressive reading.
Callum McGregor's statistics vs Rangers
Statistics | Callum McGregor vs Rangers |
|---|---|
Appearances | 48 |
Wins | 26 |
Draws | 13 |
Loses | 9 |
Goals | 6 |
Assists | 4 |
Yellow cards | 13 |
Red cards | 1 |
Note: All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.
26 wins and only nine defeats in Glasgow derbies is pretty good going, even if it took Celtic four attempts to win a Premiership derby this season. McGregor bagged his sixth Old Firm goal at Hampden last November, lashing home the extra time go-ahead goal during the League Cup semi-final success.
As noted, no player has featured in more Old Firms since the start of the new millennium, but where does McGregor rank all-time?
Players with most Old Firm appearances throughout history
Players | Club | Years | Appearanes |
|---|---|---|---|
Alec Smith | Rangers | 1894-1913 | 87 |
John Greig | Rangers | 1962-78 | 74 |
Paul McStay | Celtic | 1982-97 | 70 |
Billy McNeill | Celtic | 1958-75 | 65 |
Dougie Gray | Rangers | 1925-45 | 65 |
Sandy Jardine | Rangers | 1967-82 | 64 |
Roy Aitken | Celtic | 1976-90 | 62 |
Patrick Bonner | Celtic | 1979-95 | 60 |
John McPherson | Rangers | 1890-1902 | 60 |
Danny McGrain | Celtic | 1970-87 | 58 |
Alec McNair | Celtic | 1905-24 | 56 |
Ally McCoist | Rangers | 1983-98 | 55 |
Bobby Evans | Celtic | 1944-60 | 52 |
Bobby Lennox | Celtic | 1961-81 | 51 |
Tommy Burns | Celtic | 1971-89 | 50 |
Peter Grant | Celtic | 1982-97 | 49 |
Callum McGregor | Celtic | 2013-present | 48 |
James Tavernier | Rangers | 2016-2026 | 46 |
There are still a fair few players above McGregor on the all-time Old Firm appearance list, he is not likely to catch Paul McStay's club record of 70, but he certainly can climb up the leaderboard. Glasgow's big two met the maximum six times this season, also doing so in 2022/23, which helps boost these numbers.
One of McGregor's best abilities is his availability, a mainstay of the Celtic team for over a decade, and it is really obvious on the rare occasions when he is not there. Thus, he has now reached 572 appearances for the club all told, having come along way since scoring on his debut against Knattspyrnufélag ReykjavÃkur during a Champions League qualifier in July 2014.
With Rangers taken care of, Martin O'Neill's team are now focussed on toppling Hearts. Wednesday night's trip to Fir Park to take on Motherwell is must win, thereby setting up a winner takes all title shootout against Heart of Midlothain at Parkhead on Saturday. Despite all of his games for Celtic, including 116 in UEFA competition, of which 27 have been in the Champions League proper, this would surely be the biggest match of McGregor's life. If Celtic are to claim a fifth successive title, pipping Derek McInnes' team at the last, the captain will continue to play a key role.
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