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Hampden Park in Scottish domestic football represents a location where legacies are made, heroes are created and legends are born.

Two trophies are up for grabs, with both the League and Scottish Cups being handed out at the national stadium every season. With silverware on the line, the venue encapsulates success for those who prevail on the pitch when the final whistle blows at the end of the match.

Especially so with the Scottish Cup final. It is the concluding date in the domestic calendar and so it provides a chance to draw a successful final line on the season for whoever comes out on top.

For Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, last season Hampden played host to what was arguably the launchpad of his Hoops managerial career: the League Cup final vs Hibernian. This closely-fought 2-1 victory over the Leith side that evening in December was the maiden honour for the Australian in Scotland in what was also his first cup final appearance in charge of the Bhoys.

Postecoglou’s now famous motto of ‘we never stop’ clearly resonated with the men on the park that day, as they displayed the fight and determination to overcome the setback of conceding first against the Hibees to clinch the cup.

A hero was certainly created that day, too, with Kyogo Furuhashi scoring an impressive double, including an unforgettable chip that proved to be the winning goal, as Celtic overpowered Hibs captain Paul Hanlon’s opener to lift the first trophy available that season in style.

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Already a fan favourite, the Japanese striker cemented his place in the hearts and minds of the Celtic faithful with his performance that day in Glasgow. Despite an injury-hit debut season, Kyogo had certainly made a lasting impression, one which has only grown under the guidance of Postecoglou and his backroom team since his arrival from Vissel Kobe in his homeland.

Looking at his goal return this season, it is clear to see that Kyogo thrives under the watchful eye of the manager who previously came up against him while managing Yokohama F Marinos in the J1 League.

More than just Furuhashi, though, the Hibs game also had a positive effect on other players and other competitions. Winning the League Cup win gave the first taste of success to a largely new group of players and reinvigorated the jaded individuals who were a part of the overwhelmingly disappointing season of the year before.

The footage of new captain Callum McGregor lifting his first trophy as skipper was direct proof of that, given how despondent the midfielder looked at the end of the previous campaign when Celtic surrendered the title, and the chance to do 10 in a row, meekly.

This combination of dynamics was the spark needed for Postecoglou and Celtic to push on and reclaim their champions status at the first time of asking ahead of their fiercest; a feat thought unlikely back in June when he was appointed.

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Postecoglou’s cup triumph was the ocular proof many supporters needed to see to fully buy into the revolution that was happening on the green side of Glasgow. Despite evidently playing an attractive attacking brand of football that got spectators off their seats, the manager’s success in the cup indicated and fully highlighted the winning mentality he had clearly installed alongside it.

Fast-forward to the present, however, and Postecoglou will be hoping to add yet another chapter to his ever-growing list of accomplishments when he takes on Rangers at the very same location and looks to make it to his first Scottish Cup final at the second time of asking.

The Hoops are 13 points clear at the top of the SPFL Premiership, having dropped points on only three occasions this season. Those previous questions or doubts about the quality and capabilities of Ange Postecoglou are now looked back on with humour and almost disbelief.

Indeed, the manager will be hoping that revenge will be on the cards this time round after the Ibrox side ran out 2-1 winners at the exact same stage of the competition this time last year thanks to a late own goal from Carl Starfelt.

It was a close game, one in which Greg Taylor opened the scoring and Cameron Carter-Vickers came agonisingly close to doubling the advantage before Scott Arfield’s equaliser. However, by this point an injury-ravaged and physically spent Celtic side were unable to stop the comeback victory from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side in extra time. They went on to beat Hearts in the final after inflicting Postecoglou’s first – and so far only – defeat at the national stadium.

In that respect, the Hoops manager will surely be hoping for a repeat of February’s performance against Rangers at Hampden. One in which Kyogo was again the catalyst to a 2-1 victory in Mount Florida to secure the League Cup for the second year in a row.

The Ibrox club have thus far failed to defeat Celtic in five meetings between the two sides this season, with new head coach Michael Beale desperate to make a positive impression against his rivals as he takes charge of his fourth Glasgow Derby as Rangers manager following Van Bronckhorst’s dismissal.

If Celtic were to succeed, Falkirk or Inverness would provide the final hurdle standing between Postecoglou and an unprecedented eighth treble for the Hoops; a new world record for most domestic trebles and certainly a target that is within his reach if the team can make it to the final.

In short, Hampden has already proven to be the launchpad for Postecoglou’s many successes at Celtic. Now, he is but two national stadium victories away from securing the club another treble and in doing so etching his name even deeper into Hoops folklore.

Another derby date with destiny at the Hampden awaits the Australian – and it’s one which will go a long way to cementing his legacy as a truly great Celtic manager in the process.

This piece is an extract from the latest Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out every weekday evening with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team.

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