Ange Postecoglou was Celtic father figure to Kyogo as striker 'evolved' under ex-boss

Kyogo says Ange Postecoglou was "like a dad" to him during the pair's time together at Celtic.

The striker, 29, was the Aussie manager's first signing after taking over at the Hoops and he later admitted he was the one player from Japan he knew he would take him with him if he landed a job in Europe. It proved to be a masterstroke as Kyogo ended his first season as the Premiership's top goalscorer despite missing a chunk with injury, and then scooping player of the year and top goalscorer awards in his second.

After that, Postecglou moved on for pastures new when he took up Tottenham's offer to become their new boss. That means that the pair only had two years working together but the 58-year-old clearly left his mark on Kyogo.

He says the Spurs boss improved him as a person as well as a player and event went as far as to say he was a father figure.

Kyogo is back home and was previewing a friendly between his old club Vissel Kobe and Ange's Tottenham and said: "Ange was like my dad to me. He always thought about our team, and treated each of us as if we were a family. And whenever I talk to Ange about something, he always says to me, 'It's okay if you can play your own way with confidence'.

"So I was able to have confidence. I was able to work with him for only two years, but thanks to him I was able to evolve various parts of me, so now I'm feeling that it was a wonderful two years."