Celtic captain Callum McGregor says his team still holds the upper hand in the Scottish Premiership title race despite trailing Hearts by three points.
Reigning champions Celtic are currently in third place, trailing Hearts by three points and city rivals Rangers by two points, with just five matches remaining in the campaign. Celtic prepare to face Falkirk on Saturday, while Rangers take on Motherwell and Hearts travel to Hibernian for the Edinburgh derby on Sunday.
'For us, we've been here over the course and we know how to win,' midfielder Callum McGregor explained.
McGregor emphasized that Celtic's experience alone won't secure the title, stressing the need to remain composed and follow the proper process in training and matches. 'We know that we have to stay calm and follow the process and train well - and then, when you get the chance to play, it's five hurdles to get over,' he stated. 'The fact we have been there and been successful, we can draw on that, but it's not the only thing that's going to make us successful. You won't just win it off experience alone; you have to earn the right to do everything you can over the next five games to hopefully be champions.'
Martin O'Neill has returned for a second interim stint this season following departures of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy, a situation that drew criticism from fans after Hearts once held a nine-point lead. 'I see what we've overcome already this season in terms of a little bit of adversity and a change of manager twice,' McGregor noted. 'We've fought back from where we were and I see enough signs that the team want to win and can do enough to win. I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I didn't think we have the edge.'
McGregor described O'Neill's work as 'unbelievable,' highlighting how the manager reunited a fractured squad and guided the team through a strong run of results. 'He's pulled the club back together when it was fractured, he's overseen a run of really good results,' he said. 'Performances have been getting better all the time and that's from a disjointed start point. It's never been perfect, but the job is to win games and he's shown that in spades - he's getting a tune out of the players.' McGregor also expressed hope that O'Neill continues beyond the summer if successful.
McGregor believes continued success could lead to a historic season, especially if Celtic also claim the Scottish Cup. 'If we do go on and be successful, and hopefully we can win the Scottish Cup as well, then what an amazing season and it states his credentials for the job moving forward. The players are fully behind him,' he added.