Celtic FC Sign Aaron Mooy: Relief for Callum McGregor

Celtic FC Sign Mooy

A Rest For McGregor

At the end of the title-winning 2021-2022 season, Celtic FC fans were rocked by the announcement that fan favourite Tom Rogic would leave the club. The Australian midfielder has wowed fans with his ability to produce magic moments over his nine years at the club and new Celtic FC signing Aaron Mooy will undoubtedly be compared to his international teammate. These comparisons though are unfair. While Mooy is definitely capable of playing in an attacking midfield role and is a good technical player, he is much more similar to a different Celtic FC player. That player is Celtic FC captain Callum McGregor.

McGregor has been absolutely everpresent for Celtic over the last eight years and the club has benefitted enormously from his services. Initially, an attacking midfielder that could play on either wing McGregor broke into the Celtic team with goal-scoring performances in the Champions League against Legia Warsaw and Maribor. It was at this point that Celtic tied their youth product down with a five-year deal and the player never looked back. McGregor earned a reputation for his attacking threat from midfield, especially under Brendan Rodgers where the player scored goals against Rangers and Bayern Munich. Despite his obvious attacking qualities, the time came when Brendan Rodgers was desperate for a defensive midfielder in the absence of Scott Brown through injury. McGregor then began the transition to a modern number six and again he hasn"t looked back.

Now the Celtic captain McGregor has become the successor to Scott Brown in more than just status. He now occupies the same position in the team as the former skipper. He is relied upon to set the pace, run the press, progress play, contribute to attacking moves and cover the defensive lines from midfield. This is a lot for any player but due to Celtic"s schedule, McGregor has averaged an astounding 47 games a season since breaking into the Celtic side eight years ago. This peaked at an unbelievable 59 games in the 2018-2019 season. In that time he has rarely put in poor performance, he is never rested and he is almost never substituted. In that 2018 season, McGregor played more minutes of professional football than any other player in the world. This is a testament to his work ethic and fitness, but it is also an indicator that during that time Celtic have never had a player that they trusted to fill in for him. With the arrival of Aaron Mooy Celtic finally has that player.

What Does Celtic FC Signing Mooy Offer?

Aaron Mooy is an experienced all-around midfielder that like McGregor can play as the defensive or offensive midfielder in a double pivot. He is known for his ability to put in consistently good performances even in times when the players around him have been struggling. This was on show during his time at Huddersfield Town where Mooy truly made his name. In a team that went on to be relegated Mooy was named player of the season and earned a move to Premier League newcomers Brighton and Hove Albion. Premier League experience combined with 53 caps for the Australian national team shows that Mooy is more than capable of competing against top players and not looking out of place. This will be especially important at Celtic as the club will be competing in the Champions League group stage this season. It is worth noting that despite Celtic"s domestic dominance over the last decade they have consistently struggled in Europe, often having to field substandard players due to injuries and a lack of squad depth. Signings like this should see improved performances from Celtic going forward.

As a player, Mooy is tenacious, and technical and has no true weakness. While he might not be brilliant in any one area Mooy is consistently good at all aspects of the midfield role. Like McGregor, Mooy was once an attacking midfielder that has since become an accomplished box-to-box player. This is something that will help this Celtic side as even the defensive-minded midfielder is expected to be highly involved in the attack. This won"t come as a surprise to Mooy who will be very familiar with Ange Postecoglu"s ultra-attacking style from his time in charge of the Australian national side. There seems to be a good chance that recent Celtic FC signing Aaron Mooy can fit into this team seamlessly and finally give Callum McGregor the rest he deserves.

Will Aaron Mooy be a success at Celtic? Let us know what you think! If you enjoyed this content then follow me on Twitter @AzLynchy and also make sure to follow @FootballOTH for more football content!

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