Scott Allan: Callum McGregor was torn to shreds vs Dundee, Rangers flop caused him problems
Scott Allan has highlighted former Rangers winger Scott Wright’s performance in Celtic’s 2-1 cup win over Dundee on Saturday.
Celtic beat amateur side Auchinleck Talbot 2-0 last month to make it to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, where they hosted a Dundee team that saw off Kilmarnock 2-1 to proceed to Parkhead.
Steven Pressley’s side have struggled for form so far this season, sitting 10th in the Premiership as it stands, but they beat Celtic 2-0 in October and drew inspiration from that result on Saturday.
Ethan Hamilton’s pearler put the visitors ahead just after the break, and they protected that lead right up until new Celtic signing Junior Adamu scored on his debut in the 97th minute to send the game to extra time.
Sebastian Tounekti then scored to seal progression for Martin O’Neill’s side as they won 2-1, but Dundee could take pride from their performance, with Wright a particular standout.
Scott Allan praises Scott Wright as Callum McGregor struggles
Wright played 120 times for Rangers between 2021 and 2024, but scored just 12 times and failed to ever nail down a regular starting spot on the wing at Ibrox.
Birmingham City signed Wright in August 2024, but he struggled to play regularly in League One or the Championship and so completed a loan move to Dundee on 2 February, after previously playing for them in 2019.
The 28-year-old nearly picked up an assist on his second debut for the club after running past Celtic captain McGregor and crossing for Tony Yogane, who saw his shot cleared off the line by Kieran Tierney.
Former footballer and current pundit Allan praised Wright while analysing that passage of play on BBC’s Sportscene show.
He said: “What’s really good about that clip is Yan Dhanda playing off the side of Callum McGregor.
“He caused him problems, and then you’ve got Scott Wright running beyond McGregor, they made Celtic worry about them all day.”
McGregor could seal an emotional Celtic exit this summer after Saudi links
McGregor has been a reliable operator for Celtic in the middle of the park over the last 12 years, but has struggled for form this season and was again shown up at times against Dundee.
Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah were linked with a move for McGregor ahead of the January window, not long after former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers had been confirmed as their new manager.
McGregor was in line for a huge wage increase in Saudi Arabia, but a move never materialised, and he dismissed any rumours of an exit towards the end of last month.
Despite his dismissals, McGregor will be 33 by the summer and will likely have achieved his dream of playing for Scotland at a World Cup, and so more performances like the one against Dundee could push him to leave Celtic ahead of next season.