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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Ben Banks

Ange has Celtic fans heading for heartbreak but Hampden hands Aussie king golden reminder of what Tottenham can't offer

The flames and Scottish Cup trophy rose high into the air as Ange Postecoglou, discreetly, scraped off a cannon's worth of gold party foil off his suit.

It was kind of a visual metaphor for his time at Celtic - full of silverware with a flare for the majestic, as he constantly tries to play down his premium role in it all. He doesn't crave the attention of his side's success, he enjoys it in his own way, even if it is blatantly obvious for onlookers to see that he is the unstoppable force powering this juggernaut.

That's not to say he isn't helped by the players at his disposal. In Kyogo he has arguably the best Parkhead hitman since Henrik Larsson, Callum McGregor a giant of the club and a defence built on sturdy American foundations. But he is the man who has put that together, who has taken a club from the ashes of immortality to a world-record Treble. Few thought it possible, others assumed he'd be on a plane back to the land down under 18 months ago. But here he was in the boiling June sunshine at Scotland's showpiece game, with his services red-hot as nature provided a reminder of home.

Celtic Manager Ange Postecoglou lifts the Scottish Cup trophy (SNS Group)

Tottenham have come calling and the day punters in green and white dread appears to be coming. For now, their glorious leader has urged them to drink in the Treble but soon he could deliver the most sobering of blows.

This is no Brendan Rodgers repeat, on the face of it anyway. Postecoglou, should he go in the weeks ahead, leaves the next man coming in a seemingly unstoppable force to work with.

A lot is said of the Premier League, and certainly the top six level Tottenham operate at. They arguably have the best stadium in Europe and their training facilities can claim to that world leading tag.

His budget in London would make his current Celtic finances look like a kid's sweet shop money. They aren't in Europe's elite this coming term, but they did make the Champions League final four years ago, and boast a world class striker.

There are obvious plus point for taking on such a prestigious role. But at a club where icons of modern football management in Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho have failed, he would have to take on the role of underdog and prove his stock.

You can bet your bottom dollar the wolves would be at the door if he's not in top four contention by Christmas. This tale of providing the doubters wrong as an unknown, does it all sound a little familiar?

Celtic fans made it clear what they want. Their cries of Ange Postecoglou ole, over and over again, took on the form of one last defiant cry for him to remember what he has already, a raucous plea for him to lead them into the next stage of his project, which many believe to be the continent's high table.

Be the man to break Rangers' trophy record and succeed in Europe next season, well, there is a place in the Hall of Fame waiting for him. But he has now reached his Celtic crossroads.

The questions have been batted away and the moments are starting to be savoured. In the weeks ahead, the noise will fade for a moment, and he will decide between Scotland and England.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou (SNS Group)

One thing is certain - for both him and Celtic. He will find it hard pressed to claim the same adoration he has at Parkhead elsewhere, and Dermot Desmond and co will have an almost impossible task in replacing him.

He has such a hold on his audience. Fans would literally throw themselves down at his feet for a moment of his attention, he is the new king of Glasgow's east-end.

The key difference between him and any other manager in recent times is he brings people along for his journey. Not in an arrogant way, but he lets them know of his struggle to the iconic office he currently holds.

He tells them he's had to overcome hurdles, about how his family have made sacrifices, about what this all means to him. The reason this break-up is going to be so brutal is they perhaps love Ange the person more than the manager.

The boss is a bit reserved, not exactly hugs and kisses when it comes to his players. The person is an inspirational figure who's had to go the long way round for his moment in the limelight.

Roll With It blared as he made what could be his final applause to the crowd. There will be no Gallagher-like squabble upon his exit, but a thank you for the triumphant music that has lifted Celtic from 10-in-arow darkness to Treble light.

Oasis peaked at Knebworth in front of 125,000 over two nights, but remarkably, Ange isn't near such a precipice, continuing to scale the football mountain as he closes in on 60. His Hoops impact will live forever in the history books.

It was a moment the band could have waved goodbye and exited into the blazing sunset as heroes without fault in their craft. At Hampden Park, Postecoglou reached that moment.

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