Scotland retirement allows McGregor ‘to have a breather’ – Rodgers

Callum McGregor’s Scotland retirement will prolong his career and can only benefit Celtic, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

McGregor, 31, played 63 times for his country after making his debut in 2017, and helped Scotland qualify for the last two Euros under Steve Clarke.

Rodgers says McGregor’s now-reduced calendar will allow the midfielder to stay fresh throughout the season and continue to play at a high level for years to come.

“I’d obviously spoken to Callum on that and was aware of his intentions,” Rodgers said.

“From a selfish perspective, for Celtic it’s really good news because he gets the chance to recover – you all know the amount of games he plays.

“This will give him opportunities to have a breather because he’s really intense. That’s what I love about him, his appetite to improve. He never has a day off ever.”

Rodgers was quick to praise McGregor’s contribution on the international stage over the last seven years.

“He’s been absolutely pivotal to [Scotland’s] performance levels and qualifying for the tournaments they have,” the Northern Irishman added.

“He is probably now looking at this next part of his career and he knows he will need to look after his body.

“A fantastic career he’s had for his country, he can be very proud of that, and now going into the next part of his career, he has all his focus on Celtic.”