Celtic captain Callum McGregor playfully admitted that he has lost touch with Manchester City and England star Jack Grealish over the years.
The duo shared a season on loan at Notts County during the 2013/14 campaign, forming a strong bond as two young talents eager to make their mark in professional football.
McGregor enjoyed a standout spell at Meadow Lane, netting 12 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions. Since then, he has established himself as a key figure at Celtic, recently making his 500th appearance in the club’s 3-1 Scottish Premiership win over Motherwell. Over the years, he has collected an impressive 23 major domestic honours with the Hoops.
Meanwhile, Grealish has reached the pinnacle of European football, winning three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, the Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup with Manchester City. He has also earned 39 caps for England.
The pair had a brief reunion last summer during Celtic’s pre-season tour of the USA when Brendan Rodgers’ side secured a 4-3 victory in a friendly match in North Carolina.
When asked if he still keeps in touch with Grealish, McGregor joked: “We did for a while, but he’s too busy now! We’re both busy. I saw him in America, which was great, but football is so fast-paced that sometimes people just drift apart a little.”
Reflecting on their time at Notts County, McGregor recalled how both he and Grealish were determined to break into the first teams at Celtic and Aston Villa, using their loan spells as a stepping stone to greater success.
However, even McGregor admitted he never imagined reaching the milestone of 500 games for Celtic.
“When you go out on loan, you’re desperate to prove yourself and fight for a place back at your club,” he said. “Every game, you want to perform, help the team win, and take things step by step. Looking back now, it feels like the years have flown by. Ten and a half years later, I’ve played 500 games, and I still love every minute of it—the responsibility, the challenge, and the pride of playing for this club.”
McGregor also shared his mindset at the time of his Notts County move, emphasizing his belief that a loan spell was an opportunity rather than an admission of failure.
“For me, going on loan was about showing I could play men’s football, not about giving up on making it at Celtic,” he explained. “Back then, it wasn’t as common to go on loan and then break into the first team, but I always had my heart set on returning to Celtic. My only focus was playing, improving, and proving I belonged at that level.”
