"Pressure is a privilege. I don't think you should run from pressure or expectations.

I think you should run towards it. You don't get in a lot of pressure situations in your life.

If you can put yourself in a pressure situation, you have worked for it and you have earned it. Embrace it."

These are the words of former Boston Celtics basketball coach Doc Rivers.

They could so easily have been uttered by Glasgow Celtic coach Ange Postecoglou.

Ange has written a book entitled: "Changing the Game".

The 56-year-old has been there, done it and got the t-shirt especially when it comes to dealing with pressure.

The Aussie has been dealing with the Glasgow goldfish bowl and pressure cooker situations since he took up the Paradise hot seat in June.

READ MORE: Detailed Celtic player ratings as Kyogo's brilliance the difference amid injury nightmare

From day one in the Celtic job, Ange has been relentless in the preaching of his style and football philosophy to his players.

The mic'd up training session with the squad that spawned the memorable phrase: "We never stop. We never stop, we stop at halftime and we'll stop at the end of the game when we celebrate...but during the game, we don't stop. If the opposition wants to stop then that's good for us because we'll fucking take advantage of it."

It's already the stuff of Celtic folklore.

Ange's men were entering a ten-game stretch ahead of the winter break in January which to all intents and purposes would define their season with a League Cup final and a New Year derby thrown in for good measure.

Celtic started tonight's match against Hearts at Parkhead trailing league leaders Rangers by seven points courtesy of the Light Blues' 1-0 victory away to Hibernian at Easter Road 24 hours previous.

The hosts were under pressure as they could ill-afford any more slip-ups in the Scottish Premiership title race.

Yet Ange's focus ahead of the Jambos clash was laser-like.

So much so that he came away with more superb soundbites when asked if this was a revenge mission for the opening day 2-1 defeat at Tynecastle and what he thought of Robbie Neilson's comments which stated the Edinburgh side were looking to leapfrog Celtic into the second spot.

Ange brazenly told his audience: "Statement games are for the back end of the year. Let's just keep our pistols in our holsters for a little while yet.

"You can get distracted by so many shiny objects everywhere but we just want to play our football on game day and be ready for that challenge.

"If you start thinking that somehow a result gets you something shiny and glittery then you lose focus on what's important.

"Once that game is done we have another pretty important game coming up straight afterwards.

"It is a busy month and we can't afford to worry about too many other things than playing our football."

Portuguese winger Jota also gave a fascinating insight into the way Ange's mind works when he told everybody that the Celtic players were allowed to enjoy the recent 3-2 Europa League away win over Ferencvaros in Hungary for all of five minutes Jota revealed that Ange had said: "Guys, just enjoy the next five minutes because on Sunday we have to go into battle again.

"So the five minutes have passed, now it’s recovery and let’s go to the next one.”

The next one for Ange and Celtic was Hearts.

All eyes were on the Aussie to see if he would restore his compatriot Tom Rogic to the midfield after he had been nursing a hamstring injury since Celtic's 3-1 Scottish Premiership win over Hibs at Easter Road in October.

READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou explains Celtic star Cameron Carter-Vickers absence for Hearts clash

Ange duly obliged as Rogic replaced James McCarthy in the engine room but there was a major surprise when Swedish defender Carl Starfelt returned to the starting lineup for the first time in five matches at the expense of Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The USA internationalist was absent from the squad altogether due to a personal issue as he missed his first match since signing a season-long loan deal from Spurs.

Elsewhere James Forrest came back in for Israeli winger Liel Abada.

It was a special night for the former Celtic goalkeeper who was making his 300th Scottish Premiership start and 147 of those appearances had come with the men from Glasgow's East End.

It was Gordon who featured in the first moment in this match when he dived to his left to beat away Jota's effort before fumbling the ball onto the toe of James Forrest who from three yards out and with the goal at his mercy inexplicably hit the post.

It was breakneck stuff from Celtic who had sprung from the traps.

READ MORE: Kyogo strike gives Celtic huge win over Hearts, but at considerable cost

Celtic found the breakthrough their play merited on 33 minutes when Tony Ralston fizzed a beauty across the face of the goal and Kyogo's movement took him away from the Jambos defence as he brilliantly sidefooted home the opener with Hearts claiming it was offside.

It was a clinical finish as the man from Japan tool his tally to an incredible 14 goals in 22 matches for Celtic to become the Scottish Premiership's top marksman.

However, the hosts suffered a real blow three minutes later when goal provider Ralston limped off injured on 36 minutes but Celtic held on to their slender advantage at the break.

Just before the hour mark, Kingsley flashed a header wide of the target following a corner when he ought to have scored.

It was a timely reminder to the hosts they were still in a contest.

The pressure ramped up a notch on Ange and Celtic when they were hit with a double injury blow as Jota left the field with what looked like a hamstring injury and he was soon followed down the tunnel by Stephen Welsh.

There was still some 20 minutes to go and Ange's men were in for a nervy and bumpy ride.

They might have lost the services of Ralston, Jota and Welsh but Ange's side coped with some real pressure to squeak home 1-0.

It may prove to be a vital three points come the final reckoning in May.

One thing is for certain Ange is a manager who does not conform to any particular coaching manual. He is far too busy constantly rewriting it.

He is constantly evolving as a coach.

Dealing with pressure.

Pressure? What pressure? Ange loves and thrives upon it. He eats, sleeps and breathes it.

Finally Celtic have a manager as well as a squad of players who not only win but who win with a purpose. All of them dug deep to record this crucial victory.

READ MORE: Celtic suffer injury blow as Anthony Ralston limps off against Hearts

More pressure will undoubtedly come if Celtic are to be without Ralston, Jota and Welsh for any length of time.

Ange will take that all in his stride. The Celtic players, the club's hierarchy and the supporters are lucky to have this coach. In Ange they trust.

The Aussie's commitment to the Celtic cause is total. They have all embraced Ange and he has embraced everything about Celtic. It is a powerful collective in the making.

He seems hell-bent on building something beautiful and lasting at Celtic.

This is why you get the feeling that anyone or anything getting in his way of achieving his primary objective will be sold down the Doc Rivers.