Callum McGregor has urged his Celtic team-mates to seize the moment against Young Boys on Wednesday night and ensure they’re no longer the nearly men of the Champions League.
Not since Neil Lennon’s team defeated Spartak Moscow in season 2012-13 have the Parkhead club advanced to the knock-out round of the tournament.
With nine points already taken from their opening six matches, a win for Brendan Rodgers’ side against the Swiss champions will see them secure qualification for the play-off round – with the trip to Aston Villa yet to come next week.
McGregor made his debut after Lennon’s outfit reached the latter stages 12 years ago, and admits that a failure to follow in their foosteps has been a source of frustration.
Imploring the class of 2025 to take full advantage of the enviable position in which they find themselves, the captain issued a rallying cry to change the narrative.
‘We’ve tried and failed pretty much most of the time,’ said McGregor. ‘It’s a big step for the club. Everybody wants to be a part of it.
McGregor is confident Celtic can reach knockout stages of tournament
The Celtic skipper leads from the front during a training session at Lennoxtown
Engels and McCowan see the funny side ahead of clash with Young Boys
‘We’ve done ever so well so far, but we don’t want to be the nearly team. We feel like we’ve got a team here, a profile of player and squad that should be getting success.
‘It’s now down to the players to prove that, and hopefully we can do that tomorrow night.’
Despite winning the Swiss league last year and defeating Galatasaray home and away in the play-offs, Young Boys have failed to make an impression in this season’s competition by losing all six matches.
McGregor is adamant, however, that there will no complacency in his side as they set out to make history.
‘Not when you get to this level,’ he stressed. ‘You can be bottom of this Champions League group, you’d still be a good side.
‘We know how much quality is in this Champions League and we’ve experienced it time and time again.
‘We’ve looked at them on the video, we’ve studied the way they want to play.
‘They’ve got some athletic boys, good quality and they’re an aggressive team.
Daizen Maeda is a study in concentration before big European tie with Young Boys
Kyogo Furuhashi will be hoping to get on scoresheet in crucial match on Wednesday night
‘So, if you’re complacent against that, then you’re going to give yourself some problems.’
McGregor vowed that Celtic will go on the front foot from the off as they try to make the most of what’s sure to be a white-hot atmosphere.
‘It’s about us being the aggressor in the game,’ he added.
‘We want to take the game to them, obviously, being at home. We want to get the crowd involved.
‘But we know for sure they’ve got quality – and we have to be close to our maximum level to make sure that we win the game and that’s where we want to be.’
McGregor insists any personal satisfaction he would take from captaining Celtic in the later stages of the tournament would pale in significance to the collective achievement.
‘Taking the personal aspect away, I want the club to be successful,’ he said.
‘And, if we are, then obviously that means that I’ll be successful as well, personally.
‘It’s never about me, it’s never about the individuals. It’s about what can we do as a collective to try and bring the club to where we think it should be.’
Manager Rodgers reported no fresh injury concerns, with James Forrest the only player to miss out.
