‘I’m going to be a little bit selfish’ - Ange Postecoglou addresses Tottenham speculation after Celtic’s Scottish Cup triumph

Ange Postecoglou refused to be drawn on reports linking him with the Tottenham Hotspur job once again as the Celtic boss savoured his side’s record-breaking domestic treble in the Hampden Park sunshine.

The Hoops secured their third trophy of the season after beating Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-1 at the national stadium to claim a fifth treble in seven years, with Postecoglou taking his trophy haul to five out of a possible six trophies since joining the club in the summer of 2021.

Having restored the club’s position as Scottish football’s dominant force in emhpatic fashion, it remains unclear whether the Australian will still be in the Parkhead dugout at the start of next season as Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy attempts to lure him to the riches of the Premier League.

One thing is for certain, the 57-year-old has been a breath of fresh air since his arrival as a relatively unknown quantity from J-League outfit Yokohama F. Marinos and should he depart for the North London club, he will leave a lasting legacy after becoming the fifth Celtic boss to steer the club to a treble.

Quizzed over his future on BBC Scotland, Postecoglou said: “I understand all that but I’m going to be a little bit selfish here. Not just for myself, but my family and the people around me have all worked really hard to enjoy this moment. As disappointing as that may be for people, that’s what I’m going to do.

“We’ve worked too hard, whether as players or managers, if I start talking about things that aren’t really important right now to me and the people around me, mate I’m just enjoying this. And I will enjoy it for as long as I can before people drag me away to talk about other things.”

Asked similarly on BBC Sportsound why he can’t put speculation to bed around a possible departure, Postecoglou replied: “Because I think I deserve to enjoy this moment just like everyone else. I worked really hard for this moment. I owe it to my friends and to my family. I get why you have to ask the question, but from my perspective, I deserve to enjoy this moment.

“There will be a time to come for those kinds of questions but for now, we’ve grasped a small chunk of history for ourselves and I’m not going to pass that by by being side tracked.”

It what was a far from vintage performance from the Scottish champions as Japanese talisman Kyogo Furuhashi fired in his 34th goal of the campaign just before half-time. Substitute Liel Abada added a second when he finished of a slick move, before Daniel Mackay responded for the Highlanders out of nothing.

However, Portuguese winger Jota sealed a 41st Scottish Cup triumph and yet another domestic clean sweep in the first minute of stoppage time to spark wilde celebrations.