Callum McGregor feels the Celtic 'heat' as searing competition for places keeps Parkhead levels sky high

Callum McGregor reckons Celtic are in top shape and ready to hit the ground running in the Champions League.

The Hoops skipper is looking to maintain the Parkhead side’s perfect start to the Premiership season against Hearts. And the August player of the month is convinced Celts are far better equipped to deal with Europe’s elite than 12 months ago. The champions were undercooked going in last term with several key departures and high profile injuries in the early stages of Brendan Rodgers’ second stint in charge.

A year on and the manager has his new-look squad firing on all cylinders ahead of Wednesday’s opener against Slovan Bratislava and McGregor insisted Celts are determined to make an impact. Deadline week signings Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, Luke McCowan and Alex Valle have boosted an already unbeaten squad. And McGregor said: “I think the manager’s happy with what he’s got in terms of the squad, the team are playing well, there’s good momentum, the supporters are enjoying what they’re seeing.

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“There are successful players at this club who have achieved a lot and then you just keep adding, you keep moving forward and keep trying to get better and push the level. I think the guys that were brought in in the summer have certainly done that, the squad’s strong and now the competition for places is hot as well and that will just keep driving the level so that’s what we want.

“So straight away that gives you a much better feeling around the club, around the stadium, around the training ground. When you’re winning games of football everything feels a lot better. We just have to continue to do that, that’s the bit we as players can control, what we give to the games on a Saturday and a Sunday. All that feel good factor then comes with that as well.

“So the main objective for the players is to continue to push every day and we get the chance to play, give our maximum and hopefully the thing just keeps rolling from there. When the Champions League rolls around the expectation behind that comes as well. It’s a home game to start us off, everybody’s looking at that thinking can we maximise that game and then the momentum just builds and builds and builds.

“So for the players, obviously they’re excited but we need to be the guys with the calm heads and the coaches come up with the game plans and we try and execute them and it’ll be exactly the same for every game that we’ve got coming this month as well.”

McGregor was named player of the month for the first time in his career after blasting three sensational strikes – including a stunner in the 3-0 Old Firm win – to get Celts off to a flier on the home front. He said: “There’s a first time for everything! We’re off to a great start and with all of these things, you never get there without your team-mates.

“When you get some goals, and the type of goals that I’ve scored, it’s nice and it will always attract more attention. I’m really happy and pleased with how we started the season, but we know we’re only a month in and we need to continue to keep pushing.”

McGregor wants a big performance against struggling Hearts to open up an eight-point Premiership lead on rivals Rangers and take momentum into Wednesday. He said: “The league is what gets you Champions League. If you start to neglect that then you don’t have the glamour games and you don’t have the Champions League ties and the money and everything that comes with that.

“The players are under no illusion that this game on Saturday is as important if not more important in terms of where the club wants to be. There’s no getting away from the start Hearts have had, it’s not been ideal in terms of what they would have wanted, but for us, we take these games in isolation. Everyone raises their game to play against us, so our idea is to go and dominate the game and be as aggressive as we can.”