Ange Postecoglou, Jock Stein and Ferenc Puskas : The Celtic through-line that binds football royalty

The immortal words of legendary Celtic manager Jock Stein when his Lisbon Lions side had scaled European football's equivalent of Mount Everest to become the first British and non-Latin side to win the European Cup in 1967.

The roots of that monumental European Cup win were sown as early as 1954.

During Scotland’s performances in the 1954 World Cup Finals, Stein watched and learned from others.

The most important lesson of all was how the continentals deployed the use of tactics.

He was particularly captivated by the wonderful Hungarians captained by football legend Ferenc Puskas who were revolutionising the game.

It was to leave a lasting impression on Stein. So too did Puskas.

He was widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and the sport's first international superstar.

As a forward, he scored 162 goals in 123 international matches for Hungary.

He played for the golden Hungarian team nicknamed the 'Mighty Magyars' and they twice defeated England in 1953.

They hammered the Three Lions 6-3 at Wembley dubbed the 'Match of the Century' and 7-1 in the return in Budapest.

Puskas also scored seven goals in two European Cup finals for club side Real Madrid.

It was Real Madrid's famous 1960 European Cup final success over Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden that was to become the blueprint for Jock Stein's side stunning 2-1 triumph over Inter Milan in Lisbon seven years later.

Puskas scored four on an exhilarating night of exhibition football from the Spaniards which saw them win 7-3 against the Germans who ironically had defeated Rangers 12-4 on aggregate in the semi-final.

Lisbon Lion Jim Craig famously said that Stein's 1967 side were modelled on the Real Madrid of 1960 that contained Puskas and Alfredo di Stefano.

Craig said: "We realised then that to be a team as Real Madrid were we ought to have players coming into scoring positions outwith the forwards.

“Their full-backs came forward and were an important part of the team.

"Another important factor was that the centre-half was purely just a defender who when in trouble just kicked the ball anywhere.

"He was very safe and that allowed the people around him to get on with the game and get forward.”

It was an attacking philosophy that stuck with Stein and when he arrived at Celtic Park in 1965 he began putting the principles into practice.

It sparked the most successful period in the club's illustrious 134-year history.

Fast forward to the present day and that philosophy and style have a familiar ring to it.

Sounds a lot like 'Angeball' - doesn't it?

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has spoken extensively about the major influence Ferenc Puskas has had on his own career as a player and a manager.

READ MORE: Celtic's full-backs and the Ferenc Puskas influence at heart of Ange Postecoglou's system

Postecoglou played under Puskas for South Melbourne from 1989 to 1992.

Some 18 years previously, Puskas had coached Panathinaikos to the European Cup final at Wembley in 1971.

Panathinaikos had the misfortune to come up against Ajax, Johan Cruyff et al and lost 2-0.

However, Panathinaikos remain the only Greek club side to have reached a major European final to this day.

Puskas' managerial achievement is nothing short of a miracle and in truth, it is not lauded enough.

The Dutch masters are credited with inventing the term 'Total Football' but there is a definite argument for saying the Mighty Magyars, Real Madrid and even Jock Stein's Celtic were the early football pioneers and exponents of the term.

Posetcoglou formed a close and unbreakable bond with the Hungarian before embarking on his own managerial career at the same club.

The Greek-born Australian revealed that he shared the same football philosophy as Puskas and he learnt all about leadership from his mentor.

The Puskas influence has certainly rubbed off on Posetcoglou in Glasgow's East End after instilling a similar style of attacking and entertaining play at Celtic.

READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou’s fascinating Celtic sit-down as boss opens up on his coaching roots, player buy-in and the infamous 'death seat'

Postecoglou said of Puskas: “I was fortunate enough to spend a few years with the great Ferenc Puskas, an absolute gentleman, and someone who holds a very dear place in my heart.

“He looked after me for two or three years, we had a very close relationship.

“There have been varying influences in the way I look at football and the predominant one was my father but Ferenc was one of the most significant influences for sure.

“I was captain of South Melbourne and he was one of the biggest legends of the game.

"If you are talking about the greatest ever, he makes that list of players.

“He was just a gentleman. From the moment he wandered through he was just humble.

"We were constantly pestering him to tell us stories about Real Madrid, what he did at Hampden, what he did at Wembley.

“He was forever downplaying everything and it just showed you the greatness of the man was just his humility in dealing with people.

"We swapped many stories and his philosophy to football was basically just go out there and enjoy yourselves and score goals.

“We used to play with two wingers and he was forever telling our wingers never to come back and defend.

"I was a full-back so it used to infuriate me, but we won a championship with him and part of the reason we won was the atmosphere within the group because nobody wanted to let him down, he was just a great man.

“I was really sad when he passed away because when he left Australia I wasn’t able to reconnect with him when I got older and became a manager myself.

"I would have loved to thank him personally for the influence he was, as a man as much as he was as a coach.

“It certainly highlighted how important it is as a leader that people believe in you.

"We certainly believed in him.

“I am totally different to him. He was the most humble man, where he would just talk with everyone and you could spend hours with him. I am not as social as he was in that respect.

“He showed us as a leader that you don’t have to rule by fear at all times.

"It was like playing for your grandfather, you just didn’t want to let him down."

Again it all sounds very familiar - doesn't it?

Celtic...Stein...Puskas...Ange.

Joining the dots isn't really hard on this one if you know you're history, of course.

It's there for all to see in...glorious green and white.

Celtic are now playing like a team that has been moulded in the Jock Stein and Ferenc Puskas way.

The Celtic Way.

Ange himself has even been compared to Jock Stein in his public utterances which is the ultimate compliment to the impact he has had in such a short space of time.

It is certainly evident that the current crop of Celtic players are playing for a manager that nobody wants to let down.

The whole team have been given a licence and freedom to express themselves, go forward, entertain and score goals.

It's fluid, it's quick, it's been breathtaking and relentless at times.

In fact, the football that Celtic has produced of late has been heralded as the stuff of dreams.

Ironically when asked about his football dreams recently, Ange said this: "For me to stay in my role for as long as I have, I have had to be successful and it drives me every day because I love winning things and creating those special moments.

"You can find that just meeting a person and football brings you into that space where you meet someone that inspires you and you share a moment.

"They are pretty simplistic dreams and they are non-defined which gets me up in the morning chasing the next one."

Jock Stein's lightbulb football moment was inspired by Ferenc Puskas.

READ MORE: Former Celtic and Scotland boss Jock Stein's death remembered on the anniversary of his tragic passing

Ange's special football moment was meeting Ferenc Puskas and being inspired by his greatness and humility.

Celtic may not be playing the pure, beautiful, inventive football of Jock Stein's era just yet.

That is all part of Ange's vision for Celtic moving forward domestically and in Europe.

You cannot build a beautiful house in a day.

Ange is no dream catcher. He is a dream maker.

Ange is hungry and driven to achieve success much like Jock Stein and Ferenc Puskas were in their own managerial careers.

You get the feeling that wherever Jock Stein and Ferenc Puskas are they have reconvened in a room. They are having a football conversation right now.

Both are nodding their heads in total approval of Ange's managerial football philosophy and style.

They are also bursting and beaming with pride at Ange's Celtic team.

One vital question remains though.

Do the Celtic players call Ange, 'Grandad'?

Well, that's another story entirely!