McGregor was solid on Tuesday afternoon when Celtic beat Ferencvaros at Parkhead and kept their hopes of Europa League progress alive.

 

The midfielder was named club captain after Brown left the Bhoys at the end of last season and many felt he did not have the personality to be the leading man at Parkhead.

 

 

But Provan stressed that McGregor has emerged as the beating heart of the Celtic side and has done a terrific job filling the boots left by a towering personality such as Brown.

 

He lavished praise on the Celtic captain for his professionalism and commitment and believes the midfielder is now the standard that players need to match when they join the Glasgow giants.

 

 

Provan said on the Go Radio Football Show: “He is the heartbeat of the dressing room.

 

“When Scott Brown left the club, they needed somebody to fill that vacuum and Callum McGregor has done that.

 

 

“He is a great pro, a great example for anyone coming into the club if they want to know what the standard is to be a Celtic player.

 

“They look no further than Callum McGregor.”

 

A product of the Celtic academy, McGregor has notched up more than 340 appearances for the club and has 39 international caps for Scotland to his name.