Former title-winning Celtic boss names Parkhead duo as best he's ever worked with - 'I love the man'
The former Celtic manager has been discussing his successful two-year stint at Parkhead recently
Former Celtic head coach Ange Postecoglou has named two key members of his title-winning squad as the best players he’s ever worked with.
The 60-year-old boss has been discussing his trophy-laden two-season stint, where he won two Scottish Premiership crowns, two Scottish League Cups, and a Scottish Cup at Parkhead before leaving to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Currently out of work after a short stint with Nottingham Forest earlier this season, the Australian manager admitted on Gary Neville’s The Overlap podcast series that he has no plans to make an emotional return to the club in the future after being asked if he’d ever consider a second term in the east end of Glasgow, telling the podcast: “I don’t go back. I just don’t think that’s kind of been my career.”
However, after being quizzed on the best players he’s ever managed and tasked with naming his ultimate five-a-side team, Postecoglou picked two of his former Celtic stalwarts, as he lavished praise on the pair.
“In goal, I’ll go with Joe Hart. I love that man,” said Postecoglou. One of the first signings made by Postecoglou, the former England international goalkeeper, arrived at Celtic in the summer of 2021 with his career plateaued after warming the bench at West Ham United the previous season. Rejuvenated following his move to Celtic Park, he played over 100 games and lifted seven trophies for the club during his three-season stay, before opting to retire after winning the Scottish Cup final with a last-minute 1-0 win over Rangers in May 2024.
Now a regular TV pundit, the 38-year-old praised the work of his former Celtic boss for helping turn his career around in Glasgow, saying: “I drifted around in football for a bit, then I got to Celtic for my final bit, and the way Ange Postecoglou spoke to me and before games, just really resonated with me. The way he spoke and the way he got us ready for games, the way he implemented how he wanted us to play, regardless of what was going on around us. He really got through to me and made me feel good.”
When asked to pick the remainder of his side, he said: “Just one defender. We want to score some goals. Play some attacking football. I’ll go with (Tottenham Hotspur defenders) Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero at the back, but van de Ven can sort of run up front. I’ll go with Callum McGregor in midfield. Great guy, great captain. Then we’ll go with Harry Kane and Sonny (Son Heung-min) up front, which is not a bad combination.” However, when asked which player would captain his side, the former Celtic boss swerved the option to choose McGregor and instead opted to pick one of his former Spurs strikers, saying: “I’ll go Harry - actually no, let’s go Sonny. He won the trophy [Europa League].”
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