Ange Postecoglou on the clutch of Celtic players whose 'sacrifice' he will never overlook

It can appear pretty straightforward as to which Celtic players have underpinned the club’s treble tilt that, potentially, has taken them to within four victories of a domestic clean sweep.

Ange Postecoglou utilised 16 players in Saturday’s 7-0 turkey shoot against St Johnstone. The bright cameo from jewel Kyogo Furuhashi – in his first appearance this year – meant the Australian had all his mainstays in play across their biggest win of the season. The Celtic manager readily acknowledged the fuel supplied to his team’s propulsion by his squad depth over a season in which 40 players have had game time. Pointedly, he did so by citing the contribution of performers not even stripped at the weekend.

"It's super important,” said Postecoglou. “It's not just about game day. That's the result of a week's work. Boys on the bench who didn't even get on against St Johnstone…[Nir] Bitton, [Yosuke] Ideguchi, Ralston. Welshy [Stephen Welsh] wasn't in the squad. [The injured] James Forrest and Mikey Johnston – all those guys every day at training are producing fantastic levels. That means our preparation is where it should be and, come game day, everyone is ready to perform. We don't discount anyone's effort. The ones who play get the applause and the accolades, but behind the scenes my respect goes to the guys who don't get the opportunities they deserve but want to be part of something special and always make that sacrifice."

Celtic appear to be peaking just as they need to be, their treble hopes going on the line in Sunday’s Scottish Cup against a Rangers side they defeated at Ibrox recently. Optimum fitness levels and marginal gains are pursued through crunching the numbers associated with performance and physical Yet, the