Ange Postecoglou is back in his homeland this week as the media hype for November's Sydney Super Cup hits fever pitch Down Under.
The former Socceroos boss is a household name in Australia after leading his country to the 2014 World Cup and the national press have been keeping a close eye on the latest chapter of his career at Parkhead. Postecoglou has done his nation proud too; 15 months on from taking the job, he's already led Celtic to the Premiership title and back into the Champions League group stage.
It's no surprise then that everyone wanted a slice of him when he touched down in Sydney and he's given a revealing interview to CODE Sports, covering everything from reuniting with Tom Rogic at Celtic to the "incredible" atmosphere during their Champions League clash with Real Madrid last week.
Record Sport have broken down the interview in full for everything you need to know.
On Tom Rogic
“He’s a legend at Celtic but at the same time he spent his whole adult life there and I could sense that he just needed a change. Tommy’s talent is unquestionable. And also he backs himself, against anybody.
“He’s still probably one of our best players at national team level and hasn’t taken the easy route going to the Championship. His fitness levels and everything need to be at their best to compete there.
“People shouldn’t underestimate him to last that long at a club like Celtic, which demands success. Tom had 9-10 years of that, and he has got to be a strong character to survive that long. No doubt if fit, raring to go, he’ll be a challenge for anyone at the World Cup.”
On Aaron Mooy
“We’ve taken our time with him to get him up to speed. He’s in a good place back in Scotland with his family, playing again for a big club. We’ve got a hell of a program after this international break.
"We have 13-14 games in 6-7 weeks, so he’ll have plenty of football before the World Cup and be raring to go.”
On his uncompromising style
“How we play is always most important to me. Celtic’s great teams are lauded from the way they played attacking football and that’s the way I want us to play, irrespective of the platform or opponent.”
On bouncing back from St Mirren defeat
"I don’t take losses well, never have, be it my first job at South Melbourne or now.
"If I knew we were going to win all the time I’d get bored of it pretty quickly. We’ve got to sit on it for a couple of weeks but at the same time we’ve been on an extraordinary run. The players have been unbelievable over the last 15-16 months with the progress we’ve made and this is just part of it. Learn from it, grow from it and come back stronger.”
On the Champions League
"It was a great night (against Real Madrid ), people told me how special European nights are at Celtic Park. The Champions League anthem gets played and the noise was incredible.
“It was special, but it gives me motivation to bring success. That’s where the club needs to be. High standards we have to match and succeed.
“Celtic haven’t been in the Champions League for five years, don’t want to just do these six games as an experience. I want to take some scalps and then create a good platform, qualify again, bridge that gap a little bit more.”
On returning to Australia
“It’s funny. I haven’t been back for three, four years. It’s been pretty hectic. But yeah, great to be back home.
“I’m really keen to bring the group out here (for the Sydney Super Cup). I’ve been selling the beauty of our country from over there, I think they’ll enjoy it. Especially at that time of the year. We’ll be fit and in good nick and put on a good show.”
On recognition for his style
“It’s hugely important to me. Anyone who’s followed my career knows I’m pretty big on playing the game a certain way. I’ve tried to do that wherever my been. Against a backdrop of trying to be successful, I’ve always tried to play football in a manner that I think excites supporters and obviously brings success to football clubs. It’s important to me.
“Everywhere I’ve been, the question has always been: ‘Will it work at the next level?’ What I’ve tried to prove is that it does and it will.”
On links with Leicester and Brighton
“I’m at a really massive football club at the moment. Sometimes, because we play at the Scottish Premiership and it’s probably not one of the high-profile European league, we forget how big Celtic is. But in terms of the institutional football clubs, Celtic – we play in front of 60,000 people, we have the opportunity to win trophies and we’re in the Champions League. It’s a massive football club.
“I know that the success I have there, and hopefully we play football that I want, I’m proud to get noticed everywhere.
“(Leicester) is not really on my radar. It’s a bit like our players – I keep saying to them: if they do what they do well, then all this other stuff takes care of itself, whatever their ambitions or my ambitions may be.
“My ambition’s always been the same, wherever I’ve been, it’s to be as successful as I can. I’ve charted a course for myself that’s got me to where I am today. I’ve just tried to do what I’ve done to the best of my ability and opportunities arise from that.
"Right now, as I said, I’m at a massive football club. I’m living the dream and I’m enjoying every minute of it. Just determined to bring as much success as I can to it while I’m there.”
On hectic schedule before World Cup break
“The next game for the club is not too far from my mind while I’m here. We’ve still got a few guys back home that are training with the rest of the coaching squad.
“When we get back, we’ve got something like 15 games in six, seven weeks. That’s a game every three days, including Champions League games. Between now and the World Cup, or when we come here, it’s an enormous program. For us, it’s a pretty pivotal part of the season. I’m looking forward to getting back into it.”
READ NEXT
