Neil Lennon reckons he could throw the captain's armband into Celtic’s dressing room and there would be a number of his main men diving to catch it.
But if the Hoops boss is forced to hand it out at Hampden this evening then he knows exactly where it’s going.
Scott Brown isn’t going to let go of his grip just yet but the skipper is a major injury doubt for tonight’s Betfred Cup last-four clash with Hibs.
Lennon is hoping to have his inspirational leader on the field but if not then he has no doubt in his mind Callum McGregor will step into the general’s boots.
The Parkhead manager doesn’t just see McGregor as a potential stand-in skipper today – he reckons the playmaker is a stick-on successor to Brown in the long-term.
Lennon said: “I would have no qualms handing Callum the armband. I see him as a natural successor to Browny in that regard, when the time comes.
“His performance levels over the years have been so consistent and he’s playing as well as ever at the minute.
“We have two or three captains in that dressing room.
“Chris Jullien could do it, Kris Ajer takes responsibility, James Forrest is a bit quieter and I don’t think he fancies it!
“But there’s a few who wouldn’t shy away from taking the armband.”
Lennon’s side have a hectic schedule with the League Cup semi quickly followed by Lazio away in the Europa League.
But there’s no chance of one of his leading men choosing to take a backward step.
That’s what Lennon loves about McGregor. The Scotland ace isn’t just a good player – he’s one of his best every single week.
The Hoops gaffer said: “Callum’s consistency is not something I take for granted.
“People just expect him to be a seven or eight out of 10 every week. That’s not an easy thing to do and I admire him for it. I admire his professionalism because he’s playing at a really high level while there has been interest in him.
“When you are playing well you want to keep the momentum going but I spoke to him on Tuesday, asking him if he wanted a wee break.
“He said, ‘No, I want to keep going.’ That was the answer I expected because when you are playing well, you want to stay in the groove.”
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