If you’re anything like me today you’re still processing the splendour, emotion and excitement of yesterday’s Celtic trophy day at Paradise.
The sun was shining, the team were in magnificent form and the club put together an absolutely tremendous production from start to finish in celebration of Ange Postecoglou and his squad.
From long-serving players leaving to new arrivals cementing their status as icons, I’d have to say it was one of the best trophy days at the club ever in my lifetime. As we know, there’s been many!
The imagery was fantastic too and we have 8 of our favourite photos from Celtic Park to show you here, so let’s get started…
The Champions
The natural starting point for our tour of yesterday is simply paying homage to the team and manager.
Ange Postecoglou has done a magnificent job since joining Celtic, bonding together a group of champions. The best team in Scotland.
Nobody really predicted this last summer and even six or seven games into the campaign, the press sensed blood in the water when it came to the manager’s job prospects.
To see him so happy lifting the trophy yesterday, alongside the captain, was just wonderful. There is genuine emotion and elation in everyone’s faces, reflecting the amount of work they’ve put into an extraordinary journey.
The Captain
Speaking of the captain, no one will have enjoyed yesterday any more than Callum McGregor.
Given he is a lifelong Celtic fan who has been at the club since he was a boy, I’m sure it was all a surreal dream to experience.
He has, of course, lifted many trophies as a Celtic player. But this was his first league title as the captain – a monumental milestone in his Bhoys career.
Coming off the back of last season, when he felt the hurt of missing out on ten-in-a-row more than anyone, he’s responded in the best way possible. The team now looks in an incredibly strong position under his leadership.
The Sacrifices Made
Ange, ever a man for details, got so much right in his post-match interviews yesterday. One of the things he said that resonated most was about all of the families on the pitch.
Alongside the supporters, this is who these players strive for. Postecoglou understands the sacrifices families can make in football and he understands the support he gets from his wife and sons.
I thought it was brilliant to see them on the pitch yesterday savouring the atmosphere and taking in the joy of the Celtic experience.
Let’s not forget that Postecoglou travelled around the world in the midst of a global pandemic last year, leaving his young family behind for a period. To see them all together was just one of the many emotional moments yesterday.
The Departing Icon
Tom Rogic, for a long time, has been my favourite Celtic player. The amount of big moments he’s had in the green and white hoops is almost beyond comprehension.
Bang for buck, he’s made as big an impact at the club as anyone over the last decade.
He arrived as a very young player, adapting to a new country and a new life. It didn’t all go his way in the early years.
Yesterday he left as champion. He’s a champion with a young family and has big plans to make his mark in new surroundings, perhaps closer to his homeland.
Obviously, the footage of him being substituted off for the last time will live long in the memory but I especially enjoyed the moments he had after full-time, breathing in what it means to be a Celtic icon.
The Veteran Rejuvenated
Joe Hart has been an incredible addition to Celtic.
The veteran goalkeeper arrived in Glasgow after a rather aimless period of his career. He’s admitted that himself. He fell out of love with football.
Now he arrives at training with a smile on his face every day, inspired and reinvigorated by the work of Ange Postecoglou and his teammates.
Hart has won titles before and undoubtedly those will be treasured. However, you could see that yesterday meant a huge deal to him.
It’s truly wonderful to see such an experienced player enjoy yesterday as much as the players who still have something to prove.
The Staff Who Made It Possible
Ange Postecoglou has gone out of his way throughout the season to ensure he doesn’t receive all of the plaudits for Celtic’s success.
Of course, he’s the figurehead and he takes the responsibility seriously. But even when racking up monthly awards consistently, he made sure his staff were recognised.
Only fitting then that the group behind-the-scenes would get their moment with the manager and the trophy as the players took a lap of honour.
Postecoglou largely worked with a group who were already in place at Lennoxtown and has done an excellent job convincing them of his methods. This is just the start too.
The Goal Of The Season
Kyogo Furuhashi has scored some stunning Celtic goals this season. Indeed, he picked up the club goal of the season award for his second effort in the Scottish League Cup final.
However, I reckon his volley yesterday topped the lot. Sure, it might not have won a trophy but the technique and skill on display were breathtaking.
To guide a volley with such precision on the run, from a sublime overhead pass, is a very hard thing to do. Of all the goals scored yesterday, it will be this one that is remembered.
King Kyogo is going to be a sensation next season, just as he was this term.
The Comeback Kid
Did anyone think Anthony Ralston would still be at Celtic right now, never mind celebrating being a vital player in one of the most satisfying title wins of all time?
I certainly didn’t and deep down, he probably didn’t either.
This time last year Ralston was thought to be on his way out of Celtic. Circumstances dictated he would be given one last chance and he took that chance with aplomb.
By all accounts, he’s been one of the disciples of Ange since the manager’s arrival, fully buying into his instructions on the training pitch and setting the tone for others in the dressing room.
The right-back is now destined to continue to play a crucial role at the club in support of Josip Juranovic. The look on his face says it all. Well done Anthony!
In other news, Kenny Dalglish thinks summer Celtic transfer window could be “magnificent”.
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