Rangers vs Celtic is live on Sky Sports Main Event from 11.30am on Sunday
Thursday 9 May 2019 16:07, UK
Callum McGregor said Celtic want to avenge their December loss to Rangers at Ibrox and finish their season on a high by winning the Old Firm game, live on Sky Sports this Sunday.
The Hoops clinched their eighth successive title with a 3-0 victory at Aberdeen last week and remain on course for an unprecedented domestic triple-treble amid their current dominance of Scottish football.
Celtic's last defeat in Scotland was against Rangers at Ibrox at the end of 2018 when a Ryan Jack strike was the difference between the teams.
McGregor insist the Parkhead players have had a "burning" desire to make amends since then.
"Obviously we have won the league and we go there as champions but we know how difficult these games are, we experienced it in December," said McGregor. "When you are not quite at it you can get done.
"So we are fully prepared for the game and ready to go give a better account of ourselves than what we did.
"We never played well on the day and I think that has been burning in the players' heads since then, that when we go back there we have to do better and get a better result.
"It is nice coming off the back of being champions at the weekend but you probably couldn't get a better game, to go to Ibrox and play Rangers, so everyone is fully focused on the job."
Much debate has taken place around the idea of Neil Lennon's side being applauded onto the field by Rangers players ahead of the game, but Rangers boss Steven Gerrard confirmed that would not be the case.
Gerrard said at his pre-match media conference: "The club have made a decision on that and decided there won't be a guard of honour, so my thoughts are irrelevant."
Scotland midfielder McGregor insists it is not a hot topic in the Celtic changing room.
The 25-year-old said: "I know it is a talking point but nobody has spoken about it. Whatever they decide to do is fine.
"We will get on with it. We know we deserved to be champions and that's enough for us in that dressing room. We don't need anyone else to pat us on the back."
Watch Rangers vs Celtic in the Old Firm game live on Sky Sports Main Event from 11.30am
