When Ange Postecoglou was named Celtic manager in 2021, the Hoops were outsiders for the title.
Neil Lennon’s team had just finished 25 points behind Rangers, and the club had responded with an unsuccessful pursuit of Eddie Howe which lasted several months.
When a virtually-unknown Postecoglou came through the door, few expected him to take Celtic by storm in the way that he did.
Five out of six domestic trophies, including back-to-back titles later, the Australian left Celtic in a different world to where he found them.
Famously, Postecoglou didn’t come to Glasgow with any of his backroom staff. One man who worked with him has waxed lyrical over the ex-Celtic boss.
Do you think Big Ange will ever come back to Celtic?
Ex-Celtic coach Anton McElhone on Ange Postecoglou
Anton McElhone had been a fitness coach at Tottenham and an assistant manager at the New England Revolution and Greenock Morton when hired by Celtic.
McElhone replaced Jack Nayler as the club’s head of sports science after the latter’s move to RB Leipzig.
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Speaking to World Football Index, McElhone firstly reflected on joining Celtic in 2021.
He said: “I’m a Celtic supporter, so working at the club you grew up supporting is a massive honour.
“Ange recruited me, but I was employed by the club, not by him personally. I was brought in through a recruitment process, interviewed by Michael Nicholson, with Ange fully supportive of the appointment…”
A few months later came his most influential moment at the club. “Leading into the League Cup Final, we were picking up one or two hamstring injuries almost every game.
“The final itself was pivotal. Kyogo Furuhashi had a grade 2B hamstring injury and was, in theory, ruled out.
“Ange asked whether there was any chance of getting him back within ten days. It was a massive ask, but it was a final.
“We worked collaboratively as a department. I led the rehab, having managed similar cases at Tottenham. Kyogo came back, scored twice, and we won the final. That moment bought Ange time and belief.
“From there, we stabilised, got to the winter break, and gradually returned the squad to full fitness. From late 2021 into 2022, we went a year unbeaten in the league.
“I’m not claiming credit, but we provided Ange with a consistently fit, available squad. From that point on, Celtic became the dominant force again and went on to win the treble.”
On Postecoglou, McElhone said: “He’s a colossus. A legendary leader. His clarity, people management, and understanding of the game are elite.
“You always knew what was required. He held people accountable but trusted staff to do their jobs.
“If he’d stayed longer at Celtic, I genuinely believe further European success was possible. We went to places like Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen playing fearless football.
“He’s a Premier League level manager, and he’s proven that.”
Which former Celtic player are you picking to come back?
Celtic backroom staff under Ange Postecoglou
Postecoglou was happy to move along with the coaches he inherited at Celtic: namely John Kennedy, Gavin Strachan and Stephen McManus.
The Aussie raved about Kennedy’s influence at the time, saying that he took control over scheduling training and even the team’s pressing shape.
In his second summer, Postecoglou brought Harry Kewell to Glasgow to work with the Hoops’ wingers. He left 18 months later to become manager of Yokohama F Marinos.
When ‘Big Ange’ left Celtic to join Tottenham, he tried to take Kennedy with him, in an extremely telling move given his usual reluctance to keep the same backroom staff.
He also tried to take video analyst Greg Wallace, who remains on Celtic’s staff under O’Neill.
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