Ange should be tied down by Hoops
JOHN HARTSON is adamant Ange Postecoglou will have no intention of leaving Celtic.
But the former Parkhead star admits it would be nice to see the Aussie nailed down on a longterm contract.
Postecoglou has worked wonders in Glasgow’s East End having arrived on a 12-month rolling contract from Yokohama Marinos last summer.
Hartson believes the gaffer’s work will not have gone unnoticed elsewhere with big clubs in major European leagues watching.
But he’s convinced Postecoglou will want to be part of Celtic’s future and that it would be a boost for everyone to know he’s in the job for the long haul.
He said: “I’m sure Ange would be in demand. But, again, I mention loyalty.
“I wouldn’t say he was nothing, that he was a nobody. But I’d say he’d managed Australia, he’d managed in the J-League.
“However, he wasn’t somebody whose name was on everyone’s lips, in terms of giving him an opportunity in Europe.
“The reason he got the Celtic job was because they never took Eddie Howe. That was the only reason he got the job.
“Howe doesn’t get it, they then give Ange an opportunity. And he’s been extraordinary for Celtic.
“You see the way he comes across. He gets it at Celtic.
“He backs his club, he backs his players, he knows it. He’s a very bright man. So that will make a huge difference in terms of keeping the manager.
“Should they tie him down? I don’t think he’ll have any intention of going anywhere.
“He’ll want to have a go at the Champions League. He has worked so hard in trying to get the team there. It will be fantastic to know that he (Ange) is here for the next four or five years.”
Hartson, meanwhile, is backing Rangers to get through their Europa League semi-final against RB Leipzig tomorrow.
He said: “Ibrox has been a fortress for them and I think they’ll turn that around on Thursday night. They’re capable.”