Callum McGregor Makes Emotional Admission About Celtic's Final Defeat

Celtic faced a shock defeat in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen. The Hoops went into the match as strong favourites and were dominant in terms of possession throughout. However, they could not make it count and the match ended in a 1-1 draw, and they ultimately lost in the penalty shootout, sinking their treble dreams.

Manager Brendan Rodgers admitted that Celtic played “a bit too safe,” which was evident in the stats. Despite having 82% of the ball, they only had three shots on target over 120 minutes, just one more than Aberdeen.

The Celtic players were heartbroken, with some even bursting into tears after the loss. You would not expect that from a team that wins trophies so consistently. Perhaps this hunger is what pushes them.

Club captain Callum McGregor was inconsolable, as his opening penalty miss set the tone for the rest of the shootout.

McGregor who has been working relentlessly throughout and captained the team to two domestic trophies already this season, was visibly hurt. As reported by BBC, he said: "The worst moment I've ever had in football. It was a real sore one. I just need to go away and try and go over it and come back next year and be stronger."

McGregor added: "It'll take me a while to get over it, but once the new season starts, then that's up to me to show everyone that I've got a bit of steel."

This loss will sting for sure, but putting this match aside, Celtic have had an impressive season overall. The players should hold their heads high after delivering such strong performances throughout the campaign.

Having said that, it's also true that improvements are needed, as Celtic have been somewhat shaky in the second half of the season. With the transfer window not too far away, the club will hopefully look to reinforce the squad and improve upon the shortcomings from this year.