Ange Postecoglou raves about the Celtic experience in new Australian radio interview

By Euan Davidson

November 17, 2021

Ange Postecoglou has given his take on life at Celtic in an Australian radio interview.

Speaking to legendary Aussie broadcaster Gerard Whately, the Bhoys boss sounded comfortable, confident and ambitious as he reflected on his start to life at the club.

He noted the language barrier in Scotland, saying he didn’t sometimes understand the local accent, but maintains he’s got a great group of players who are tuned in to what he wants to achieve.

Postecoglou, though, had special praise for the supporters, who’ve backed him from the start.

He said [Whateley]:

“The support’s just been great. European nights are unbelievable. You walk out there, they’re singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, and I’m waiting in the tunnel before to go out. It just seems surreal to me, mate, that I’m at that club where that song gets played before we go out.

“I had this ambition about what I wanted to be, in the Australian sporting landscape. Hopefully being abroad and hopefully having some achievements over here makes everyone proud.

“They’re all big games. What I’ve been most proud about with the players, is that I knew we’d had a rocky start. We’d be a little bit inconsistent, it would take us a while to settle. We stayed resilient through that, to give us an opportunity to get to this point.”

Ange Postecoglou is clearly loving life at Celtic

The burly Bhoys boss has been welcomed with open arms by the Celtic support. Yes, it was something of a gamble on the board’s part to hire him, depending on your perspective. For sure, anyone unfamiliar with Asian football would’ve been mystified.

It was a calculated move, though. And, foremost, it’s one that our ruthlessly ambitious manager is grasping at with both hands.

We have a manager who loves the culture, loves the team he’s built, and adores the noise and passion of the supporters. That’s absolutely crucial. If he wasn’t enjoying himself, any negativity would transfer to the players.

That became abundantly clear last season, under different management.

It remains to be seen whether Ange Postecoglou will be a long-term success at Celtic. For sure, the prospects look good, but nothing really has been achieved yet. If we’re feeling this positive come May, then it sets a fantastic precedent.

Ange Postecoglou is undoubtedly flying the flag for Australian coaches here. As much as it’s a huge challenge for him personally, it’s a litmus test for the coaches that come after him. Strange, when you consider the shared history of these Isles and of Australia, that it’s taken until now for an Aussie coach to make a mark.

But should he continue to do so, in a sustained way, it’ll set up opportunities for those who follow.

For now, though, Postecoglou is soaking up the atmosphere and doing his damnedest to earn the respect and admiration of supporters.

Read more: The five key questions for this year’s Celtic AGM