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The Celtic role Luke McCowan won't accept as Ian McCall reveals transfer text confessing only Ayr regret
Brendan Rodgers will cast his eye over him every day.
And the Celtic fans will have their say on his performances at Parkhead. But no-one will judge Luke McCowan’s displays for the Hoops more than the player himself. That’s the verdict of Ian McCall, the man who gave Celtic’s newest star his professional debut.
And it’s by setting his own sky high standards that he believes McCowan will eventually become a regular in Rodgers’ starting line-up. McCall was his gaffer at Ayr United back in 2017 when he emerged as a serious talent at Somerset Park. When the midfielder sealed a £1 million move from Dundee to Celtic, he texted McCowan to say his only regret was not blooding him even earlier for Ayr. But McCall was convinced he’d reach the top. Not just because of his undoubted technical ability - that included THREE nutmegs in one game - but also his mentality.
Even when McCowan was excelling at Ayr, McCall says he was his own harshest critic. The 26-year-old is pushing hard to be a first-pick for Rodgers at Celtic now.
On Thursday night, he’ll be in contention to start their vital Champions League game against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. McCall can see his former protege quietly trying to impress his manager. But he says McCowan WON’T be happy just to be a bit-part player at his boyhood club.
He told Mailsport: “Luke is being a great team-mate just now at Celtic. When he comes into the team, he’s very controlled.
“In terms of becoming a starter in Brendan’s team, he’s doing all the right things to impress. Some players in that situation go about it the wrong way but he’s doing it perfectly, just by performances and his work-rate. But believe me, he’ll be desperate to start games for Celtic. And I’m not sure it will take that long.
“Even as a young player, I never doubted Luke's mentality. In fact if anything - he was TOO hard on himself. He was quite self-analytical - to the extreme at times.
“Even when he played well, he wasn’t happy. Tony Docherty has said he was like that at Dundee too. He was down on himself a lot. But Luke just sets incredibly high standards for himself. And you know what? It’s worked out for him.
“He’s just moved to Celtic for £1 million and goodness me, he looks like a snip. When he got his move, I texted him to say I should actually have brought him into the Ayr team six months before I did. Because he had so much talent. We had him off the right and Alan Forrest off the left. But Luke’s natural talent was fabulous.”
McCowan had become a fixture in the Ayr side before McCall left to manage Partick Thistle in 2019. The midfielder was just 20 but it was impossible for his gaffer to hold him back any longer.
Later, he earned a move to Dens Park where he became captain, before a dream switch to Celtic in the summer. Whenever Rodgers has called upon McCowan so far this season - either in the Premiership or Champions League - he’s looked comfortable in his surroundings.
And McCall isn’t surprised. He said: “Luke was just a young boy at Ayr but he had this old-school ability to beat players. He’s the only guy I’ve ever seen try three nutmegs in a row inside the opposition box.
“In my last game at Ayr, we were 4-0 up against Alloa at half-time and it’s the best any team I’ve had has ever played. McCowan and Forrest were just unplayable that day.
“When you go to Celtic or Rangers, it’s obviously about mentality but Luke has always had that. Dundee are a big club, remember. But it’s different at Celtic.
“He’s a huge fan of the club along with the rest of his family. But with that level of natural ability, I’m not surprised at what he’s doing.
“He was always going to go far. This Celtic team is not an easy one to break into - it’s as good a side as I’ve seen in Scotland since Martin O’Neill’s. But Luke won’t be content in the fullness of time just to come off the bench. He’s a boy that wants to play games.”
McCowan has taken to life at Celtic like a duck to water, which begs the question - why did none of Scotland’s big clubs snap him up sooner? McCall has been asking himself the same thing since watching his development at Ayr.
But he feels McCowan is just another top local talent that was largely being ignored by the Old Firm in particular before Celtic eventually made their move. He said: “I’ve constantly been surprised by that.
“I started as a manager 26 years ago and the changes I’ve seen in the game have been unbelievable. But in the last decade, there have been a lot of very good Scottish players who have left this country for England or Italy after not being snapped up by Rangers or Celtic.
“Is it snobbery? Maybe it is, I’m not sure. Lewis Ferguson is a prime example going from Hamilton to Aberdeen. Surely the Old Firm should have had a look? I felt the same about Luke before Celtic came in for him.”
