Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers held up Callum McGregor as the perfect example of how patience can benefit young players as his captain prepares to make his 500th appearance for the club.
The 31-year-old midfielder will reach the landmark in Sunday’s William Hill Premiership encounter at Motherwell 10 and a half years after scoring the only goal on his debut in a Champions League qualifier against KR Reykjavik.
“It says so many things, not just as a player,” Rodgers said. “He clearly had the talent as a young player to be at Celtic but it tells you absolutely everything about his professionalism, his commitment, his quality and his example that he sets every single day of his life.
“It’s a remarkable achievement in the position he plays with the possibility of so many good players to be in here.
“I’m so proud of seeing how his career’s moved from when he first broke into the team and from 2016 when I came in, just seeing how he was back then to how he leads the team.
“So, so lucky to have him as a captain here and he’s still got numbers of years left.”
At the other end of the spectrum, both Dane Murray and Daniel Cummings were handed their first appearances under Rodgers when they came off the bench in Wednesday’s 4-2 Champions League defeat by Aston Villa.
Murray’s career has been hindered by injuries since he played twice in the competition under Ange Postecoglou in 2021, but the 21-year-old earned a recall from a loan spell at Queen’s Park with some impressive displays.
Cummings has netted 24 goals for Celtic B in the Lowland League and UEFA Youth League this season but the 18-year-old’s future beyond the summer is up in the air.
Rodgers said: “Youth players will always get the chance if they’re good enough.
“The pathway is not meant to be easy. Just because you’re a youth player itself, it doesn’t mean then you go and play for the first team. I mean, you’ve got to earn the right.
“Dane Murray is a player I really like. I’d seen him play here early on in his career and then he had a horrendous injury that’s put him out for a long time.
“He’s come back. You can see the work he’s done. He’s 6ft 4in, he’s got good pace, he can play.
“In order to be a top player, because he’s a nice big guy, you step on the pitch, you’ve got to be aggressive. And sometimes you don’t understand that until you experience it. So to stick him on for 15-20 minutes, to get bashed up a bit and make a mistake, that’s a part of your learning.
“You can look relaxed, but you can’t play relaxed. But if he can really make that mindset step, then he could be a really good player for us.
“The challenge here now for young players is patience. They want to be in the first team at 17, 18. But that’s difficult at a club like this unless you’re an incredibly special talent. But it doesn’t mean that you can never be.
“I’ve spent my career and my life developing young players, putting them in the team, and some have been ready. Like Raheem Sterling at 17 years of age, he was ready. Physically, mentally, ability, everything. And then there’s been some other players that need a wee bit more time.
“What young players need to have here is to understand that there’s a bit of patience needed. And their captain at the club is a perfect example. He had to take a loan away from here (at Notts County), and then at 21 he plays, and now he’s playing his 500th game.
“If you want to be patient, and trust the club, you’ll get there. If you don’t, you might listen to your agent, who’s got a different agenda, that takes you away from here, and then you’ll go somewhere else.”