Ange Postecoglou has expressed his gratitude at being inducted into the Australian FA's Hall of Fame later this week, joining many of the country's greatest football icons.
The Celtic boss admits he feels old at getting the recognition at this stage in his managerial career and reckons these are the sort of accolades you dream of as a young kid. Postecoglou and his side are in Australia for the Sydney Super Cup where they were face FC Sydney and Everton, which gives the 57-year-old a chance to return to his him land for the first time since taking the Parkhead role in June 2021.
Postecoglou won the Scottish Premiership in his first season at Celtic and became the first Aussie to manage in the Champions League this year. And he feels blessed that his achievements are being recognised on a large scale as he singled out his dad for pushing him to go down his current path. “I feel old," admitted Postecoglou to Celtic TV. "Usually when you get these things you’ve got a body of work behind you but I’m truly humbled. I guess from my perspective the majority of my sort of football journey was in Australia and I think for me it was always about how can I achieve things that I watched and dreamt about as a kid. Most of the time it revolved around Australian football and when I think about everything that's happened to me in my life and in my professional journey, football's been the one constant through that.
"To be recognised in this way, for me and my family, my parents, my father in particular who was the one who set me off on this path. I think it's truly humbling and I feel pretty blessed that everything that I've achieved so far has been recognised in this way."
Postecoglou also opened up on how special it has been to share so many happy memories over the years as he confessed football how football was always meant for him from a young age and sent an inspirational message to Australian's eager to follow in his footsteps by grasping an opportunity overseas.
He added: "Hopefully more to come but no, nothing that stands out. I think along the way what's really been important to me and what's really resonated with me is the people that it's brought into my life - football in Australia. My best mates are guys that I met at my football club when I was eight years old - South Melbourne. The people that I've met along the way some of my best friends, some people are not friends but just people who have helped me along the journey have all come from football, it's been the one constant.
"I think when you reflect on it and you look back, I've had a lot of success and even that success when I think about it, it's about the people I shared it with; the players, the coaches, the people involved in the football club so for me that's always been the number one thing. The highlight is just the people that it's brought into my life.
"Hopefully dreams are not sort of put into boxes where, where you were born or where you grew up limits it. We've had plenty of players who have gone overseas and shown that growing up in Australia or being born in Australia isn't an impediment to having the best career possible at the highest possible level. Hopefully I can do that as a manager, that is why I've shown for coaches in Australia or for anyone in Australia who dreams big, being on the other side of the world shouldn't stop you from realising those dreams."
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