Celtic's win away to Dundee United at the end of last month saw club captain and long-serving hero Callum McGregor reach an important milestone at the club, with the 29-year-old having reached 400 appearances in all competitions for the Old Firm outfit.

The Scotland international was unsurprisingly lauded by his manager Ange Postecoglou for achieving that remarkable feat, with the Premiership-winning coach having described his skipper as someone who will "go down as a legend" in Parkhead folklore.

The former Australia head coach added that the rest of his squad were fortunate to be able to share the dressing room with such a "special individual", with it a marker of the midfielder's commitment and consistency that he has continued to thrive year in, year out for the Hoops.

Such an "incredible" achievement, in the words of ex-Scotland defender Alan Hutton, has seen McGregor play a vital role in a period of stunning success for Celtic, having racked up an "unbelievable" tally of silverware thus far (as per Hutton), including seven Premiership titles.

While the Bhoys have recruited some notable figures over the years - including the likes of Henrik Larsson and Scott Brown - there is something particularly enjoyable about being able to see a player blossom from the academy ranks into becoming a vital figure in the first-team, with McGregor a shining example of the benefits of promoting from within.

A player who cost the club nothing in transfer fees - having risen up through the youth system - the £32k-per-week stalwart is now seemingly "irreplaceable" according to his manager, having racked up 59 goals and 69 assists across all fronts to date in green and white.

The 5 foot 10 maestro had seemingly been earmarked as a future star after his success prior to breaking into the first-team at Celtic Park, after playing his part in four successive Youth Cup triumphs, memorably netting a hat-trick in the 8-0 showpiece defeat of Queen of the South in 2012.

That impact in the academy was followed by a standout spell on loan at Notts County in 2013/14, with the Glaswegian playmaker having scored 14 goals during his solitary season in England's third tier, before swiftly making his mark under Ronny Deila in the following campaign.

Since that goalscoring debut away to KR Reykjavik in Champions League qualifying in 2014, McGregor has never looked back, with the decision to award the reliable gem the captaincy following Brown's departure 18 months ago having been just reward for his stellar displays.

As Postecoglou noted earlier this week, it is also "testament to his character" that the 49-cap machine has rarely been mooted for an exit over the years despite potential interest behind the scenes, with it no doubt a rarity to find a player of such loyalty in the modern game.

Quite simply, Celtic struck gold after taking on the then-youngster all those years ago, and there's still plenty of time left for McGregor to bolster his already legendary status at Parkhead.