Ange Postecoglou spent just two years at Celtic, but undoubtedly made his mark.
Joining a side that had just finished 25 points behind Rangers, Postecoglou oversaw a huge rebuild of the squad, eventually guiding the team to an unexpected double in his first season.
The following year brought Champions League football, and the team went up another level domestically, securing a treble.
By the time Postecoglou was parading the Scottish Cup around Hampden Park after his final game, supporters were fully aware of reports that he was set to leave Celtic Park to join Tottenham.
Both he and Celtic have had their success since then, but given the possibility of the Ange era, it’s fascinating to wonder what could’ve been – the Australian discussed his decision to leave at his Nottingham Forest unveiling.
Ange Postecoglou says Celtic departure was part of the business
Whilst his departure was premature, it still felt to be expected in the modern football food chain.
As a boyhood Premier League fan, Postecoglou would have struggled to turn down an opportunity to join a club with Tottenham’s budget, stature and facilities – and speaking for the first time since being sacked by Daniel Levy, he reflected on leaving Glasgow.
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He said: “I’m very proud of what we achieved there, and it will always take a special place in my heart. How it ended? I don’t really think about it.
“And to be fair, I’ve done it a couple of times myself. I left Celtic, and I’m sure that they were disappointed. I left Yokohama, and I’m sure that they were disappointed.
“So you understand that that’s part of the business we’re in. But that’s okay, it’s allowed me to move into this, and maybe these things happen for a reason.”
Given Evangelos Marinakis’ mighty ambitions for Forest, he is unlikely to be shown much patience there either.
What if Ange Postecoglou stayed at Celtic?
If Postecoglou didn’t receive an offer from Tottenham, it’s very likely that he would’ve moved forward for a third season with the Hoops.
How much would’ve been different if Ange stayed and Brendan Rodgers didn’t return in 2023? Would transfer business have been the same? Would he have left mid-season?
It’s impossible to tell – but one thing for sure is that both he and Rodgers have shown that their ambitions can quickly outgrow Celtic – some feel that Rodgers’ current situation with the board is history repeating itself again.
But for now, both men will be leading their teams into this season’s Europa League – time will tell if they meet for a fascinating encounter later in the competition.