"IF HE HAS got useful players and he trains them the right way and he gets them all to do what they can do well... the little things they can do and he merges them all together, and they are all helping each other. It's a form of socialism, without the politics of course."

The legend that was former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly uttered these immortal words when talking about Jock Stein's all-conquering Celtic side.

It remains to this day a mesmerisingly brilliant football quote. Well, it does to me.

I would never claim to know Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou's political leanings. Quite frankly, it's none of my business and I want to keep it that way. What I do know, though, is that Postecoglou genuinely 'gets' Celtic.

Much in the same way that Shankly dug a trench in the hearts and minds of the Liverpool supporters, Postecoglou has connected with Celtic and their fanbase from the get-go.

Politically, emotionally, psychologically, philosophically, spiritually. Postecoglou has yet to be found wanting when it comes to all matters Celtic.

READ MORE: How 'Three Kings' built Celtic, Liverpool and Manchester United - filmmaker Jonny Owen talks Jock Stein, Bill Shankly and Matt Busby

The Aussie felt at home straight away the minute he walked through the famous glass doors to replace Neil Lennon in June 2021.

In a recent interview with Australian broadcast media Stan Sport, Postecoglou said: “I found a real affinity with the club. We all know the club. We surprised people over here at the beginning because we seem like we’re a million miles away and almost on another planet. But we’ve always been more than aware of the great clubs around the world and Celtic is one of them.

“Their whole background and why the club was actually formed – to feed the Irish immigrants. There was a purpose behind this club that’s stayed with it right to this day. For me, that obviously resonates strongly with being an immigrant in our own country.

“South Melbourne Hellas, Melbourne Croatia, Sydney Croatia – all these clubs were set up the same way. They weren’t set up solely to be football clubs, they were set up to actually help people adjust to the life in a new land.”

Postecoglou never tires of telling people that Celtic are more than a football club. The history resonates with him because it mirrors his own back story.

There are both political and football machinations at work here in the mind of Postecoglou. He is striving to give Celtic and their supporters a football team they can be proud of.

The other thing that struck me about Shankly's wonderful words is that they appear to be very similar to the way the Aussie has gone about assembling his Celtic team this season.

Postecoglou has, as Shankly said, got useful players and he does appear to be training them the right way. They are doing the right things well and he has merged them together.

It all goes back to how Postecoglou sees players fitting into his team. His reasoning for signing players reads as if it has come out of some sort of political manifesto.

And it is a manifesto. It's the football manifesto according to Postecoglou.

"It comes back to me having a clear idea of how I want the game to be played," he said. "I can go into a shop with my wife and she'll know exactly what to pick and buy mate, I have no idea.

"When I go looking for players I'm the same. When I see what I want I picture them in my team and when they fit that picture most of the time I think it works.

"I have absolute clarity about how I want my team to play and what qualities each player should have in each position that will fit. That makes it easier for the players as well as they have already got some of the things I am looking for so the adjustment period becomes quicker.

"The players I brought into Celtic have hit the ground running and people say how has it happened so quickly? It's because I already know that they have the attributes I am looking for and the rest is them just understanding the gameplan."

Postecoglou knew exactly what Celtic needed. He knew the right type of players to bring into the club not just because they were useful but also because out there on the football pitch they could help their teammates.

The Hoops have now embarked on a 30-match unbeaten domestic run in all competitions and are challenging for a domestic treble in his first year at the helm.

With eight games to go, Celtic are three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, are in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and already have the League Cup safely tucked in their hipper.

As a manager, Postecoglou has gone about instilling a football culture at the club... just like Shankly did at Liverpool.

Celtic are now playing a brand of football that the Aussie will never waver or deviate from.

As he said: "If you are a confirmed vegetarian, you don’t drop into Macca’s [McDonald's] just because you are hungry, mate”.

The Celtic manager, his staff and his players are driving each other on this season. They are helping each other and at its core, there is a quality of football that is yielding results.

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

The Aussie often refers to it as "our brand of football". It may be a while, if ever, before Postecoglou reaches immortal status like legendary Celtic boss Jock Stein. Winning the Scottish Premiership title this season would definitely be a start.

A domestic clean sweep would also be a monumental achievement when you consider Postecoglou is still building his beautiful house.

Shankly called it correct all those years ago when he also said: "The socialism I believe in is everyone working for each other, everyone having a share of the rewards. It's the way I see football, it's the way I see life."

In a nutshell, that's Postecoglou's definition of "our brand of football". Why it's a form of socialism by any other name, isn't it? Without the politics, of course.