What Ange Postecoglou told Celtic stars before Hibs clash as rousing 'smash through it' speech inspired Hampden glory

Ange Postecoglou has revealed he told his players to walk out on the Hampden turf feeling invincible in the Premier Sports Cup final.

And he had already installed the mentality that Celtic captain Callum McGregor would be lifting the trophy come full-time before their cup final tie with Hibs.

The Australian told the Celtic View the exact words he said to his players as they left the dressing room on December 19 2021.

Kyogo fired in two stunning strikes as Celtic went on to beat the Easter Road side to lift the first domestic trophy of the season. and the first under Postecoglou 's tenure.

He said: “All right boys, my message is the same here, don’t play the occasion, nothing changes, okay.

“The basic principles of our game – that’s what got us here, and that’s what’ll get us further - the things we can control. Don’t let any chaos out there derail from what we’re all about. That’s the most important thing.

“Just think about how we’ve overcome. It hasn’t been by changing our approach. It hasn’t been from veering from what we’re good at and what we believe in most of all

“As I’ve said to you before, whatever challenges or obstacles are thrown at us today, we can get through them by sticking to our beliefs. Smash through it.

“You walk out there today, boys, feeling 10 feet tall – you know why? Because you’re wearing a shirt and you’re representing a club that’s achieved the greatest of achievements and you stand on the shoulders of the players who have achieved all of that before you.

“So you walk out there feeling invincible – 10 feet tall – and at the end of the game, when Cal lifts up the trophy, and you walk back in here, you’re going to be a little bit taller because you’ll be standing on what you created, on what