Callum McGregor admits it’s only natural to peek over the fence from time to time but the Celtic captain has never been convinced the grass was greener.
The 28-year-old has been linked with moves Down South on numerous occasions over the years and was nearly tempted to follow Brendan Rodgers to Leicester City not so long ago.
But something always brings him back.
There really is no place like home for McGregor.
The schemer was handed a green and white kit as an eight year old kid and he hasn’t known anything different in two decades.
And now he’s hitting his prime years he admits there’s no place he’d rather be.
McGregor has penned a new five year deal that will take him to 2026 and 33-years-old – and there’s every chance he’ll spend his entire professional career at Parkhead.
He said: “I think when these things come along, you’re only human, you have to have a think about it and see where you could maybe go.
"To be perfectly honest though I’ve always been super happy here.
“I think I was eight years old when I came to the club, so it’s a long time!”
“They’ve have looked after me since a young age, they’ve put a lot of faith in me, and together it’s been a great story so far with so much silverware and so much history being made.
“I’m a footballer who is desperate to win things. That’s why I played football when I was a young kid, to win.
“I feel like this is the best place to challenge yourself every day to get better and to win things, it’s as simple as that.
“I want to win and this club provides that platform for me, so I’m more than happy to stay.”
McGregor enjoyed nothing but success at Celtic up until last season and he knows the club are going through a transitional time right now.
It’s been a bumpy ride under new boss Ange Postecoglou but the gaffer has nailed his colours to the McGregor mast, naming him as captain and giving him a huge role in the Parkhead rebuild.
The midfielder admitted his gaffer played a key part in his decision to stick around for the long term.
McGregor said: “Yeah, he’s been massive, like you would expect.
“We have a good relationship, I see football being played the same way that he does, which is obviously vital, because his message gets filtered to me which then gets filtered to the team. We need to be on the same page in that sense.
“We get on really well, we have similar philosophies on football, and he’s been a massive factor.
“I feel the trust that he puts in me as well, so it’s a great relationship and one that I want to continue to build on.”
Not that it’s been easy this season. Postecoglou has had to construct a squad on the hoof and he’s been severely hampered by a brutal injury list.
McGregor reckons surviving the hard times will only make the good times sweeter when they come.
He said: “Absolutely. When you look at the road to success, there’s always speed bumps in that and there’s always different challenges.
“When you look at the season and you try to plan it out, you can never plan for the best case scenario, you have to plan for the worst case scenario and then everything after that is a bonus.
“You’re going to endure tough times, and it is then about sticking to your principles, sticking to your behaviours, and trusting in what you are trying to do.
“I believe with that, as well as with the young players and the potential we’ve got, then I see us being a successful team.
“Once we get some players back and strengthen the squad a little bit, then I think we’ve already seen flashes of what we can be this season, and we have to continue to do that on a regular basis.”
McGregor’s commitment is a major message to the rest of the squad.
The skipper is on board for the revolution.
He said: “Exactly, it sends a good message in stability at the club and where were see it going in the next five years.
“There are a lot of young players in the building and a lot of new players.
“If they see that kind of commitment from the older guys, it shows them there is a pathway to where they want to be.
“We hope to get as many numbers as we can signed up and build a good core for the next few years.”
The new deal means Celtic will now see the best of McGregor as he heads in to his peak years.
He also now in the ballpark for a testimonial – and ending his career at Parkhead.
McGregor said: “Who would we play in the testimonial? To be honest I’ve not really thought that far ahead!
“This is obviously the next stage, the next five years. If I manage to see that out, and it’s been a pretty successful time, we can reevaluate.
“If they’re still happy with me then we go again. I love playing for this club.
“As long as they’ll have me, I’m happy to be here.”
