CALLUM McGREGOR was hitting the hay just as Celtic said goodnight to Brendan Rodgers.
As the Hoops skipper got ready for bed on Monday night he had no idea the boss who had played such a pivotal role in his career was about to walk away.
McGregor, 32, spoke to Rodgers in the aftermath of his stunning exit, and hopes once the dust settles everyone will remember just how much he did for the club across his two spells.
He said: “The news caught me totally off guard. We found out at the same time as everyone else, so it was a shock.
“It wasn’t something that I thought was in the pipeline. I was in the house, about five minutes away from going to bed — so it turned out to be a long night.
“I spoke to the manager ten to 15 minutes after it all happened, but what was said will stay private.
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“I’ve been in football a long time and you like to think you can see these things coming.
“I was really close to Brendan and he was amazing for me.
“He came back the second time and then delivered great success, which only strengthened that bond, so it’s very disappointing in the way everything ended.
“But very rarely in football do you get the fairytale ending.
“Everybody who’s in football tries to give everything for yourself, for your family and for the club you’re at.
“Then you get tapped on the shoulder and that’s it — done.
“I’m hoping over time everyone can see the good that he did at the club as well. Now we have to move on and it’s a new chapter.”
Hoops No 2 John Kennedy made a surprising exit after serving alongside gaffers Ronny Deila, Rodgers, Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou.
McGregor added: “A big hole has been left. It’s only right we speak about John in terms of how good a person, coach and assistant manager he was.
“He gave so much to the club. He was a pillar of strength within the building, in good times and in bad.
“John was part of the furniture and someone who gave his life to Celtic.
“Again, he didn’t get the fairytale ending, but hopefully everyone understands how good he was at his job.
“Maybe he never got the public admiration he deserved, but everyone inside this building held him in high regard. He’ll be sorely missed.
“People look at reasons why you were successful. It was that stability, the training level, standards and attitude everyone displayed every day.
“That ten years has been a hugely successful period, and it’s down to guys like John, the manager, players, guys like James Forrest, who are real core parts.”
Interim boss Martin O’Neill praised McGregor in his post-match press conference after Celtic’s 4-0 win over Falkirk on Wednesday night.
He added: “You have to react and be really strong for your team-mates and everyone else in the building.
“The guys who have been here over a long period of time, the staff, the players, have been very good because it can be destabilising for a couple of days.
“The manager and Shaun Maloney have been first class.
“They have lightened the mood a bit and you need that.
“When the manager was here the first time I was really young. I was in the academy, I was about 12. I would have been watching his team winning leagues, reaching the Uefa Cup final.
“He achieved so much and his success still lives on. He is still really highly regarded by supporters and the club.
“Previous to Martin coming in, we’d only met a couple of times.
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“He’s a really nice man and hugely respected in the game, so for me this is another great learning experience to be working with top managers.
“I count myself lucky. I’ve been at this club for so long and you come across some really good characters. Martin certainly seems like one of them as well.”
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