Callum McGregor on his Celtic 'magic formula' that requires major sacrifice and an empty fridge

Callum McGregor doesn’t keep treats in the fridge because he only craves putting more medals in the cupboard.

The Celtic captain heads into a new season with both his enthusiasm and condition in typically high order. McGregor lives and breathes the game. He says himself that means he’s probably not much fun to be around away from work. It’s down purely to the fact every waking moment is geared around constantly improving and adding silverware to the club’s collection.

Having turned 30 years of age during the summer, the dedication and relative sacrifices needed for a top-level player to maintain peak performance is ingrained within Brendan Rodgers' skipper. McGregor understands that discipline and routine are what is required at the top level and nutrition is a key element. There’s no special potion or ingredient. Just an appetite for more and more success.

McGregor said: “I’m in here to train, go home to rest up, go to bed early then up to do it all over again. I’m probably not much fun to be around but it certainly helps my football career!

“I just try to do the basics well. Eat well, sleep well, train as hard as you can, go home to rest up then do it all over again the next day. The fridge is a bit bare but that’s the sacrifices you have to make.

“Everybody is trying to look for a magic formula but doing the basics and fundamentals properly is the best thing to do. As you get older, you realise how your body operates. Everybody’s different, everybody has different things they do to prepare themselves, they eat differently.

“Once you figure out your body and how it processes food, how you train, when you get to a consistent level, you start to understand that is when you can show real consistency in performance and