Ange Postecoglou on the Celtic 'values' that he carries as he talks up silverware pressure experience

Sir Alex Ferguson called it squeaky bum time. Others call it the business end. Ange Postecoglou reckons it’s just a Grand old time.

While others are getting twitchy, this is the time of the season the Celtic manager really gets his kicks. It’s when the hard work potentially pays off and the prizes are up for grabs – and the juices start really flowing for Postecoglou. He caught the bug a quarter of a century ago, when in his second season at South Melbourne he steered his side into the Grand Finals series – the end of term play-offs that determine the champions – on his way to his first piece of major silverware.

Postecoglou has been stockpiling them ever since. The league race turns into a knockout competition in his homeland but he still has that all or nothing attitude here, even if the format is different. Celtic have six Premiership games to go and a couple of wins will see them retain the title.

Chuck in next week’s Scottish Cup semi-final clash with Rangers and a potential end-of-season showpiece at Hampden and it might be eight more matches – starting with Motherwell today – for the Parkhead gaffer to savour. That buzz from 25 years ago still remains today – along with treating every single hurdle like an all-or-nothing cup final.

Postecoglou said: “It was my second season in charge at South Melbourne and we won 2-1 in the Grand Final against Carlton with an 87th minute winner. That was 25 years ago and my first title as a manager – but I am still loving it now and I am still as ambitious as ever.

“I have been really blessed to have won a fair bit in my career and I have loved every minute of it. I still enjoy it as much today as I did with that first one, and I have learned a lot along the way. The basics of