Celtic’s Aussie Connection – Surprising, long-lasting links

The Celtic Star

·18 October 2024

Celtic’s Aussie Connection – Surprising, long-lasting links

When people think of Australia and Celtic a few recent players and one particular manager jump out in their mind…

Ange Postecoglou is now managing in England and there aren’t currently as many Aussie links. Historically there are loads. It might surprising you to see how many links there are – the first Celtic player from Australia played as early as the 1940s and there are even some earlier links than that!

Ange Postecoglou holds the Celtic shirt with Syndey Bridge in the background. Photo: Getty Images

OneFootball Videos

Celtic Park Hosted the NRL

Not a lot of people realise that Celtic Park was once the host of an event for the NRL. The Australian Rugby League team came to the Britain on their first tour ever and this involved a stop-off at Celtic. The national team has the nickname of the Kangaroos and the local papers explained that there were “Kangaroos at Parkhead”. The game was a 17-17 draw with England and reports say there were as many as 3000 people there.

Celtic Park hosted the Australian ‘Pioneers’. Photo The Celtic Wiki

The NRL is not a stranger to travel and things are easier for potential travelers now. Matches in 2024 were planned to take place in the US in a bid to improve the popularity of rugby there. There are more fans in the States than some people would expect. Tours now may be common but when the NRL came to Celtic Park they were setting a trend that would last over a century.

Ange Postecoglou

An Aussie with Greek heritage and a place in Celtic’s history. One of the obvious links between Celtic and Australia has been the appointment of Australian manager Ange Postecoglou.

Celtic v Aberdeen – Ange Postecoglou celebrates with the league trophy after the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Saturday May 27, 2023. Photo Andrew Milligan

Postecoglou’s arrival at Celtic was groundbreaking as he became the first Australian to manage a major European club. We had to provide a guide to the sort of thing people could expect from the colorful character! His background saw some success with the Australian national team and clubs in Japan and Australia. He brought a fresh approach to Celtic.

He built a work ethic and emphasis on attacking football into the club which earned him a strong reputation even though not everybody was his biggest fan. Postecoglou’s success with Celtic has undoubtedly strengthened the club’s ties with Australia and he has drawn attention from Australian football fans who followed his career and wanted to see him succeed on the European stage.

Ange Postecoglou lifts the Scottish Cup after the victory during the Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Hampden P on June 03, 2023 (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

The Celtic supporters were sad to see him go but his Celtic legacy is undeniable and something we have discussed in detail – he’ll always have a place at Celtic Park.

Celtic’s Aussie Players

When fans start to think about Aussie players to have played for Celtic it becomes a sort of game. There have actually been lots!

One of the most iconic Australian footballers to have played for Celtic is Scott McDonald. Ironic how he could have the most Scottish name imaginable!

Scott McDonald of Celtic celebrates at the final whistle of the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and AC Milan at Celtic Park October 3, 2007 (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

McDonald enjoyed a prolific spell at Celtic between 2007 and 2010 when he became a fan favourite for his goalscoring ability. McDonald scored crucial goals and people will be thinking of one in particular – a famous winner against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League. His tenacity and knack for finding the back of the net earned him a lasting place in Celtic’s history. McDonald’s success at Celtic helped further cement the club’s presence in their Green and White Hoops.

Another Australian who left a mark on Celtic is Tom Rogic who was an attacking midfielder known for his creativity and technical skill. Rogic joined Celtic in 2013 and won plenty of honours with the club including several league titles and that never to be forgotten Scottish Cup final winner against Aberdeen in 2017 to secure an Invincible treble for Celtic. That remains one of the most iconic goals scored in Celtic’s entire history.

Other names that spring to mind include Mark Viduka. He came to Celtic via Zagreb and then became one of the top strikers in the league. His time at the club was pretty short and he was snapped up to play in the Premier League. Aaron Mooy is another player who did a really good job in a limited stint in Scotland. All of these players had some level of success which is something we’ve come to expect at Parkhead.

Mark Viduka celebrates Goal Celtic v Rangers 27 December 1999Photo: Mary Evans Allstar Richard Sellers

There is even an Aussie player on the books now. Defender Liam Bonetig is still at the club though he’s playing in the lower leagues in Scotland at the moment trying to make a name for himself.

Willie Wallace signing copies of his book, Heart of a Lion at the Brisbane CSC, ahead of Celtic 3 theRangers 0 on 1st September 2024. Photo Brisbane CSC

And there’s another Celtic connection with Australia in Brisbane where Lisbon Lion Willie Wallace, who helped Celtic become the first British side to win the European Cup and become Champions of Europe in Lisbon on 25 May 1967, now lives. In fact Wispy been a Gold Coast resident for decades and is often joining up with fellow Celtic supporters at the Brisbane Celtic Supporters club.

Conclusion and Future Relationships

Celtic recently played in the Sydney Super Cup Tournament and were involved in two matches on this friendly tour in 2022 – it seems there are still plenty of people in the Land Down Under with an eye on what Celtic do.

This isn’t just about a quirky and fun relationship as there is an element of commercial opportunity. Sydney Celtic Supporters Club is another example of many different clubs to have joined in Aus to watch the team play and chat about what is going on. We expect more tours and even more connections moving forward.