Callum McGregor has no doubts his newer Celtic team-mates appreciate the responsibilities of meeting the demands of the supporters ahead of the season finale.
The Celtic skipper admits he is fully respectful of his role throughout his life and spoke of his pride in representing the club on Thursday at an event in memory of his most successful predecessor, Billy McNeill.
The 28-year-old is looking to lead the squad to major success this season with his team three points clear of Scottish Cup semi-final opponents Rangers in the cinch Premiership with eight games left.
With the Premier Sports Cup already back in the Celtic Park trophy room, McGregor could win a treble in his first season as captain, but the margins are tight with Rangers chasing a treble of their own in domestic and European trophies.
It is a pressure that McGregor relishes.
“You have to embrace that, the club have had success over a huge amount of time,” he said at the launch of a golf day to raise funds for the Billy Against Dementia fund.
“The guys who were standing in my shoes, I’m now standing in their shoes and I have a responsibility to make sure that it goes the right way.
“I’ll take that responsibility every day and try to help the players in any way that I can.
“I’ll try and live my life the right way so that when the big games come around you’re in peak physical condition.”
Ahead of Saturday’s visit of Ross County, the midfielder added: “It’s exciting times, this is what you want as a professional footballer at a big club where you are expected to win things. This is the most exciting period.
“The players look ready, they look hungry, they are training well and we are looking forward to the game on Saturday.
“We just take each game as it comes, continue to work hard on a daily basis and see where that takes us.
“We are always drip-feeding information- the manager, experienced players – on a daily basis. But we do that with the way we train, the way we train and conduct ourselves as well.
“But the new players have been absolutely fantastic up to now – they understand it, they get the responsibility that they have to the supporters, to the club.”
The golf event will be held on June 3 at Carrick Golf Club with the aim of raising funds to help former footballers with dementia, which McNeill suffered from before his death in April 2019.
McGregor added: “It’s something that I am hugely proud of, to carry that responsibility. It’s hugely important to me and I carry that on a daily basis. Of course your voice has got the weight of the club behind it as well so you have to be really cautious of that on a daily basis.
“But to be here and support Billy, Billy’s family, the charity, it’s a proud moment for me and brilliantly backed by the club as well.”
