Given recent events, little wonder that Callum McGregor’s thoughts have not drifted elsewhere.

McGregor, the Celtic midfielder who scored the opening goal during the Parkead side’s win over Rangers in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday, has had no cause to look longingly at his passport just yet despite a season that has been gruelling in its intensity.

The energy milled this season from a club who stand on the cusp of their fourth domestic Treble has kept the 23-year-old front and centre of where he wants to be. Well, almost.

McGregor has quietly maintained that there has been nothing deliberate about keeping himself available for the opening months of June, just as Gordon Strachan, the Scotland manager, will be assembling a squad for a FIFA World Cup qualifier against England at Hampden.

The midfielder has been capped at every level from the under-15 stage but although he was called into a senior squad three years ago when he first broke through into the Celtic team, he has yet to make an appearance. His performances at domestic level in the latter half of the season may cause that to change, with the midfielder’s growing maturity offering a plausible case for his suitability for international football.

“That would be great if it came but for me I just need to keep doing what I am doing for Celtic,” said McGregor. “With all the different experiences that I have had, Champions League and big games like that and on Sunday, I think I would be more prepared to go in and do a job. I wasn’t sure what time we were getting off so I have deliberately not booked anything. We will see what happens.”

Scotland’s win over Slovenia at Hampden last month effectively kept the game against England alive. There were six Celtic players called into that squad, a number that prompted Barry Ferguson, the former Rangers and Scotland midfielder, to suggest that Scotland fans heading to see the country in action at Hampden would require a Celtic scarf.

Certainly, if McGregor’s performances for Celtic have caught the attention of Strachan – who was at Hampden on Sunday – then there would be nothing strange about walking into a dressing room full of familiar faces. McGregor formed a central trio at the weekend with Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong and it will be interesting to see if a system that has proved successful with Celtic is invoked for Scotland.

“As you said we played really well on Sunday and the time that we have played together we have looked good,” he said. “We have looked a threat and if that is something the manager looks at then great but my main priority is to kick on for Celtic and keep doing so well. You saw that in the game that there were so many Celtic boys in the squad. That would help me obviously if I was to get the call because there would be so many familiar faces. That would be good.

“There are a lot of Celtic boys in the squad now and I think that can only help Scotland. We know each other’s game so if you can build a squad around that you’re off to a good start.

“As a footballer you want to play at the highest level you can and to represent your country you don’t really get much better than that. As a young boy, growing up, you think about growing up and playing for Scotland so there is obviously is a bit of that but it is up to me to keep working hard and keep trying to push for the squad.”

And Rodgers’ public praise – the Parkhead boss described him as “priceless” - of the player has not been lost on McGregor. Both Scott Brown and Rodgers have spoken of the influence that he has exerted on Celtic this season and certainly there is an energy about the player that lends itself to the way the Parkhead side look to penetrate teams.

“I’ve read the wee bits he’s been saying and that just gives me more confidence to go and kick on,” acknowledged McGregor. “It makes a difference. You see a lot of the time that it’s the goalscorers who get the most praise. So for him to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective, it’s good for me.

“For me, he’s improved everything about my game. Technically and tactically I think everyone here has come a long way since the start of the season. I certainly think that myself. I feel I’m learning more and more every day.

“It‘s then great to put that into practise and see it coming together in a game like Sunday’s. It gives you massive confidence that what you’re doing is working.”

*Callum McGregor was promoting a 50th anniversary lunch with the Lisbon Lions. Supporters can book a special lunch on Friday, May 26, at the Hilton Doubletree to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jock Stein's side winning the European Cup.