Callum McGregor can be Celtic title kicker after Scotland call as Liam Scales warns watch him go

Liam Scales is convinced that Callum McGregor’s decision to retire from Scotland duty can help Celtic in the title race.

The Hoops captain announced his decision to quit international football on Friday to concentrate on club games. And Irish centre-back Scales believes that will only improve Celtic’s chances of securing four Premiership titles in a row. The big defender is already a huge admirer of the Parkhead skipper’s fitness levels and durability.

But he says if McGregor can now get rest periods when Scotland are playing - it will benefit the 31-year-old and Brendan Rodgers’ side. Ahead of Sunday’s clash with Hibs at Easter Road, Scales said: “I think it will help us, 100 percent. Listen, Callum is robust anyway and he’s been available for the majority of our games even when he’s been playing for Scotland. But this takes away that risk of getting injured when he’s away on international duty.

“It can let him focus 100 percent on being successful at Celtic. And selfishly, that will be beneficial to us. Making this decision, it will obviously help him having those extra days recovery when the international breaks are on.

“It should benefit him physically, in terms of playing for Celtic and that’s obviously a big positive for us. It’s hard to imagine Callum getting any fitter than he is already because he operates at peak level for the whole season.

“It will be interesting to see if he can go any higher. But it’s just about maintaining the level he’s at right now and this should definitely help him and us.”

McGregor, who earned 63 caps for Scotland and played at two Euro Finals, decided to step away from Scotland duty last week after discussions with Rodgers and national team boss Steve Clarke.