Celtic have Notts County to thank for Callum McGregor exploits: View | OneFootball

Over the years, Notts County have welcomed some exceptional talent through the doors of Meadow Lane, some of whom have come on loan deals.

The likes of Jorge Grant, Matt Ritchie and Archie Mair are just some of the players who have featured for the Magpies over the years in search of regular game time, with the East Midlands club providing a platform for competing in the lower leagues of the English football pyramid.

But for two players in the 2013/14 season, their arrival at Notts would go on to become the springboard for the careers they have made for themselves today. The low-cut socks and slicked back hair of Aston Villa youngster, Jack Grealish, would be first on the scene in Nottingham.

However, a young midfielder from Scotland would prove to play a pivotal part in the 'Great Escape' that was to come that season, with Callum McGregor becoming one of the most successful players in Celtic's history upon his return to Celtic Park from his loan spell at Meadow Lane.

Callum McGregor's loan move to Meadow Lane

Having impressed in the Celtic academy, including winning four successive Scottish Youth Cup final victories, which saw him score a hat-trick in an 8-0 victory over Queen of the South at Hampden Park, McGregor would get his first taste of professional football at the start of the 2013/14 season.

The midfielder would swap Celtic Park for Meadow Lane, joining League One outfit, Notts County, on a five-month loan at the start of the season.

His team-mates would include up-and-coming Aston Villa star, Jack Grealish, who was also navigating his first professional loan move of his career. The pair would ultimately shine in the East Midlands and go on to achieve huge accolades during their respective careers.

He scored on his debut for the Magpies in a 3-2 win over Fleetwood Town in the first round of the League Cup. He would score his first league goal at the fifth attempt against MK Dons, and following a 2-0 win over Crewe Alexandra, then manager, Chris Kiwomya, challenged the Scot to reach 10 goals before the end of his loan spell.

McGregor would feature in a memorable League Cup encounter for the club, facing off against a Liverpool side which featured future Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, as well as being managed by his future Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers.

The midfielder would go on to beat that target set by Kiwomya by two goals, scoring on his final appearance of his initial loan deal in a 3-0 win over Bradford City on New Year's Day 2014.

Following the expiry of his loan in January, clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers were credited with an interest in McGregor, but it was confirmed by the club that he would return to Meadow Lane for the remainder of the season, much to the delight of the Notts fans.

Along with Grealish, the pair would help the Magpies complete the 'Great Escape' in League One that season, with Notts winning six of their last nine games and surviving on the final day thanks to a 1-1 draw against Oldham Athletic.

McGregor finished as the club's top scorer with 14 goals before returning to Scotland, with manager, Shaun Derry, later revealing that the club would not have remained in the division without the loan pairing's contributions throughout the campaign.

McGregor would go on to become a Celtic legend

The Glasgow-born midfielder credits the loan spell for allowing him to develop as a player and learn the game, and felt that being involved in a relegation battle where his teammate's livelihoods were on the line helped him grow up.

McGregor made his first team debut for Celtic against KR Reykjavík the following season in a Champions League qualifier, scoring the only goal of the game. He would also score on his Scottish Premiership debut against St. Johnstone, signing a new five-year contract with Celtic at the start of the campaign. He would also win his first Scottish Premiership title that season.

His rise to stardom at Celtic Park continued to increase, going on to win eight Scottish Premiership titles to this day, while also winning five Scottish Cups and seven Scottish League Cups, including back-to-back treble-winning campaigns between the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons.

The Glasgow-born midfielder would become the 22nd captain of the club in 2021 following Scott Brown's move to Aberdeen. And following the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, McGregor became the first player to win five domestic trebles for a club.

Ahead of the new season, he would sign a new five-year contract with Celtic, keeping him at the club until 2028, with the hopes of achieving a ninth Scottish Premiership title in a good place heading into the final international break of the season, with The Bhoys currently one point ahead of Glasgow rivals, Rangers.

McGregor has gone on to assert himself among the legend of Celtic with all that he has achieved in his career in Scotland, but that may not have been possible at all if he had not spread his wings and joined Notts County on loan.

His experiences of the 'Great Escape' helped him to become the player he is today, and you could argue that McGregor's success is owed to his time at Meadow Lane 10 years ago.