STEVE Blair says he can't wait to see his mate Ange Postecoglou go toe-to-toe with some of European football's big guns in the Champions League next season.
Celtic secured an automatic passage to the lucrative group stages courtesy of their 2021-22 Scottish Premiership title win.
Lifelong Celtic supporter Blair - a former South Melbourne team-mate of Postecoglou's - insists that the club deserves to be back mixing it with the European elite.
He is also well aware that the Champions League is an arena where Postecoglou is desperate to make his managerial mark.
The 60-year-old, who was capped 13 times for Australia, is convinced that his pal has found a spiritual football home in Paradise as well as kindred spirits in the Celtic fans.
"I admire Ange's ability as a manager to think that nobody is better than him," Blair told The Celtic Way. "As far as the Champions League goes, he will certainly go for it.
"He wants to play against the best teams from the best leagues in Europe and he is going to have a go at them.
"Virtually every player he has brought into the club has been a success and contributed to winning the title. More credit to him.
"The Celtic supporters wanted the club to be back at the top table of European football playing the Celtic way - Ange has achieved that in his first season.
"He shares the same dream and vision of the supporters and that is to make Celtic a big noise in Europe again. It's where he wants to make his mark. That will be a focus for him.
"I want to see Celtic back up there again too. We are a big club. I want Ange to take us to the next level playing the Celtic way. I think he will do that.
"It does seem as though Celtic and Ange were made for one another. He gets it. He totally gets Celtic."
Blair knows full well that his friend will never compromise on his footballing philosophy or attacking style of play.
He revealed that during last season's Europa League group stage matches against the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Real Betis he was pleading with his pal to adopt a more pragmatic stance.
Postecoglou was having none of it and, despite scoring five times on their travels in Spain and Germany, the Hoops succumbed 4-3 against Betis on matchday one and 3-2 against Leverkusen on matchday five.
As the 56-year-old stated in a recent interview back home in Australia: he doesn't know any other way to play than to attack and entertain.
"I've never owned a bus, mate," Postecoglou told Australian outlet Stan Sport Football. I’m sure there’ll be – as there have in my whole career – people telling me I need to adjust my approach and temper my aggression. I’ve done pretty well just sticking to it, to be fair, so I’ll just keep going.”
Blair said: "I laughed when I read that. I thought 'here we go again'. That's just typical Ange.
"During some of Celtic's Europa League group games last season I was saying to myself 'right, Ange, that'll do us - stick back a wee bit. We don't have to attack so much'. Nope. That's not his style. He's just not having that."
One thing is for certain: Blair cannot wait to see what happens next with Celtic both domestically and in Europe with Ange at the helm.
'We never stop' may well have been the club's mantra during last season's highly successful campaign but Blair reckons the Hoops supporters need to strap themselves in for more.
"This is only the start for Celtic," he said. "I know it is. Ange knows it is only the start for Celtic too.
"It is an exciting time for the supporters. Ange has the fans dreaming of what could be. Where will it all end? Bring it on."
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