Ange Postecoglou dedicates Celtic Champions League glory to Ferenc Puskas as he declares mentor 'would have loved it'

There's no need for hot and cold balls in the bowls when the football fates are prepared to interfere in UEFA’s administrative matters.

Ange Postecoglou had no idea at the time, but all those year spent as Ferenc Puskas’s captain, interpreter and chauffeur sent him on a path that would lead him to his old gaffer’s sacred home at the Santiago Bernabeu. It’s fair to say the Celtic manager is chuffed with his side’s Champions League draw after landing the reigning champions Real Madrid.

And he’s convinced his old mentor Puskas would be as well. Postecoglou cherishes the time he spent under the Hungarian legend when he pitched up as manager at his South Melbourne Hellas in 1989. Back then the Hoops boss was a rampaging full-back, sporting a magnificent mullet and moustache. Puskas was a superstar in their midst and with more Greek than English as his disposal, thanks to his time at Panathinaikos, Postecoglou got more out of the the humble master than most.

The then-skipper must have been tempted to take the long road to training as he was treated to tales from Real Madrid’s illustrious past - a past Puskas helped create while laying the foundations for a modern-day footballing giant. Now Postecoglou has the chance for his own moment of history and he admitted he’ll be thinking about the Mighty Magyar.

The Hoops boss turned 57 today but he’s already received the best present and he said: “Puskas would have loved this, absolutely. He’d have taken a hell of a lot of pride in this because he was a massive influence on my career.

“He’d have loved seeing me lead a team out against his side. Certainly when I was with Ferenc for those three years, I tried to tap into as much of his experiences as possible.

“I’d read the stories and