Harry Kewell shares how he was 'blown away' as Ange convinced him to make Celtic move

By John McGinley

March 27, 2023

Celtic coach Harry Kewell has been speaking passionately about his spell at the Bhoys, opening up on the initial contact with manager Ange Postecoglou and how he interacts with the players at Lennoxtown.

Kewell was a surprise addition to the Celtic staff last summer after some difficult spells managing in England, linking up with his fellow Australian Postecoglou. His profile is huge in his homeland and in the UK due to a glittering playing career, but he’s now honing his skills as a coach – and Ange is playing a big part.

In a new podcast interview, the Bhoys coach shared how he was convinced almost immediately when Postecoglou reached out to him, although made him wait for an answer.

Harry Kewell ‘blown away’ by Ange Postecoglou

Speaking on The Big Interview with Graham Hunter, Kewell said: “In the summer time I was talking to a club, let’s just say I was talking to them on the Monday and I got a text from the manager and I was taken aback. It was just one of the nicest messages I’ve ever read from a manager to a young coach.

“I showed my wife and said I was going to ring him. He told me he’d love for me to join up, he knew what I’d been through and had kept an eye on me – I didn’t know that – and knew what I liked, what I didn’t like. He thought it would be a good environment for me to come in and work with a great team and get back to where I belong.

“I was blown away. I said I’d get back to him in a couple of days then told my wife I was taking the job, because the way he spoke was enough. I didn’t want to sound too eager so made him wait a little bit! But I was ready to say yes straight away.”

It’s fantastic to hear about the draw Postecoglou has when he gets into contact with people. Many transfer arrivals have made similar comments.

Multiple players have also spoken positively of Kewell’s impact at Celtic, most notably Callum McGregor and Daizen Maeda. He’s become a popular member of the staff and will hopefully remain for quite a while yet.

Kewell likely has ambitions to move back into management at some point but with life good in Glasgow, he’ll also be using this opportunity to soak up as much knowledge and experience of Ange as possible.

In other news, “This can give me a boost at club level”; Celtic Bhoy on his international splash.