Celtic boss aiming to make Champions League ‘impact’ as Callum McGregor eyes glamour draw against Real Madrid

Ange Postecoglou believes Celtic belong with Europe’s elite clubs as he outlined his Champions League intentions to supporters.

The Hoops will make their first group stage appearance in the competition for the first time since 2017/18 and will discover their three opponents when the draw takes place in Instanbul on Thursday.

The Scottish champions will be among the seeded teams in pot four for the ballot and Postecoglou reckons whoever they are paired with, it is going to be a memorable occasion for the Parkhead club.

Cetic stretched their unbeaten domestic run to 36 games during Sunday’s 2-0 win over Hearts - matching the Australian’s unbeaten record from his time at Brisbane Roar.

Postecoglou, who is now looking to make his mark in the Champions League, said: “It’s fair to say they’ll be decent sides, but it’s exciting. I know come Thursday our supporters will be glued to the TV in anticipation.

“It’s where we should be. It’s where this football club needs to be.

“I have a responsibility to make sure we’re there and we are there to make an impact.

“No doubt there are going to be some exciting ties and memorable occasions for everyone involved, whether you’re a player or staff, manager or supporter.

“Celtic Park Champions League nights are unforgettable, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Hoops captain Callum McGregor admits the majority of fans would love to be drawn with defending champions Real Madrid.

Having been eliminated in the qualifying rounds over the past four seasons, the Scotland international suggested the current squad have benefitted from not having those early-season fixtures as a result of the country’s improving coefficient ranking.

He admitted: “We’ve played quite a few big teams, but probably the one most fans would like is Real Madrid.

“I’ve not played against them yet, but we know anybody we get drawn against will be a top team and a big challenge for us.

“We’re focused on looking after the league business - the here and now - but in the back of our heads we know the Champions League is coming around pretty quickly.

“It’s definitely been a slower start to the season in terms of the number of games we’ve played, but it’s also given us god time to train and prepare really well for the games we had.

“You can see from the start we’ve had that the boys are working hard, they look fit and the team looks pretty cohesive.”