Darren O'Dea has admitted that he doesn't think Celtic are ready to lose captain Callum McGregor. This comes just days after the skipper called for ambition from the board if they want him to stay.
There has been plenty of discussion over his future, and the recent admission that he may leave was just the cherry on top.
He said: "I’ve always been the same. I want to be at Celtic, as long as the club want me there and as long as the club’s ambition matches my own in terms of playing at the highest level."
"I don’t want to sit here and be a Celtic captain who’s not winning anything. I’ve been very honest with everyone in that conversation. The people inside the club know it. If we’re not going to be the best version of Celtic, then I don’t want to be the guy who’s not winning any trophies. That’s not me and not who I am."
You can't blame him, especially because he has other options, such as making the move to Saudi Arabia for what will surely be a massive financial package. He was even backed by legend James Forrest, who spoke out publicly.
Now, O'Dea has given his thoughts on the captain's words. He said: "Well, I think, first of all, Callum McGregor has earned the right to speak, be honest and tell it how it is.
"Likewise, this club has been fantastic for Callum McGregor. He has been here so long now that you can’t picture this club without him.
"But ultimately, that day will come. I don’t think the team is ready to move on from Callum. I think Callum, maybe there is a slight message in it to say that he wants to ‘kick on’, and as you say, he doesn’t want another season like this.
"Let’s be honest, they can still win the double this year, so this is Celtic in crisis winning the double, I would take it. Callum McGregor is a massive, massive part of it. I really do hope he stays."
McGregor isn't wrong in his comments
McGregor isn't out of order for what he said. He has every right to speak his mind, especially as the captain, and hopefully, it will be a wake-up call for the lacklustre board.
A Celtic without McGregor would be strange. We've had him for so long that losing him would be difficult, and we don't know how the team would function without him.
We can only hope that the club matches his ambition and really wants to push on. If they do, then everyone will be happy - players and fans alike.
Add us as a preferred source on Google