Garang Kuol has revealed how Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou took time out to lift his spirits following Hearts’ recent 3-1 defeat at Parkhead.
The Hoops gaffer offered some words of encouragement for his fellow Aussie as the Socceroos star struggles to adjust to life in the Scottish Premiership after being loaned to Tynecastle from English Premier League side Newcastle United.
Kuol has enjoyed a meteoric carer rise having gone from a relative unknown Down Under to the youngest player since Pele to feature in the World Cup knockout stage and before the former Central Coast Mariners star made the switch to St James’ Park and was immediately loaned out. But things haven’t gone to plan for the teenage in Gorgie - making just one start - and Postecoglou has tried to do his bit. The 18-year-old told the Herald and The Age of the exchange with the Celtic boss after the recent league meeting, during which he came on as a 65th minute substitute: “It was very brief.
"He just said, ‘I hope you’re settling in well, and keep working hard. I’m happy to see you’re working hard, and hopefully, you can keep doing well.’ It’s good for him to show that he cares about other Aussie players in the league, and that he’s there for them. It was a very good moment.”
On the Scottish game he said: “Everyone you [play against] is here to fight. There’s big boys everywhere. But I feel like game by game, I keep adapting to the level of physicality. It’s definitely getting better, my physicality. I’m tracking my food, my weight every day ... I’m just trying to stay focused on doing all that stuff, because it does make the difference.
“It’s been good to get that experience in. Training with the top players every day, with men - I think that’s the key to developing. The most important thing is what happens in training, and what happens when I get my opportunity on the pitch. That’s where all my attention’s going. I’m just trying to get as much minutes as possible, and that’s up to me, and what I do. Hopefully, I can get some stats up on the board.”
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