So much, yet so little, has changed since the day Ange Postecoglou first became a league title-winning manager.

A quarter of a century ago, the former left-back turned aspiring coach hit the first significant milestone in his dugout career, it has since wound its way across continents to the east end of Glasgow.

He has a little more worldly wisdom to guide him these days, but the burning ambition that inspired South Melbourne to a first National Soccer League title in seven years still sears through Celtic Park. The big prize required forging a path all the way to Australian football’s ‘Grand Final’, the road to which began for Postecoglou 25 years  next week.

He still remembers the winning goal like it was yesterday, right down to the exact minute.

“It was my second season in charge,” the 57-year-old recalled. “We won 2-1 in the Grand Final against Carlton with an 87th minute winner. That was 25 years ago and my first title as a manager - but I am still loving it now and I am still as ambitious as ever.

“I have been really blessed to have won a fair bit in my career and I have loved every minute of it. I still enjoy it as much today as I did with that first one, and I have learned a lot along the way.

“The basics of who I was back then…I’d like to think anyone who has come across me will say I haven’t changed too much as a person, and in terms of my values and how I work.”

The top managers and players tend to come alive at this time of the year; the period where the medals are polished and the trophies engraved. In Australia, they really make you work for it.

Postecoglou’s Melbourne finished top of the pile during the regular season – but that did not automatically make them champions.

“I have always loved the big games and I love this time of the year,” Postecoglou said. “To win titles in Australia, you had to go through the Grand Finals series.

“Back in 1998, we won the league and then we had to go through finals to be declared champions. That’s just how it is structured in Australia.

“You had to perform on the day, no matter what had happened prior to that in the season. It doesn’t matter what the gap between first and second was in the table - it came down to that final.

“We won the Grand Final in 1998 and 1999 - and it was special. When it gets to this time of the season, I always think back to Australia and this is when everything was getting decided.

“I loved the finals season, I loved the end to the campaign and I am looking forward to this one as well.”

It is highly unlikely Celtic’s route to the Premiership title will serve up quite so much drama over the final six matches. A 12 point lead over Rangers with only 18 left to play for has turned the title race into a procession. The extent of their dominance has shifted focus to which records Postecoglou’s players could now surpass.

Besting the 106 point haul posted by Brendan Rodgers’ invincibles remains a possibility, as does scoring the most goals ever managed by a Celtic team in a single season. Their current run of 17 consecutive victories in all competitions is the best since Jock Stein’s iconic side in 1966.

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Postecoglou believes they have reached this point by paying little attention to what may or may not be written in the history books come the end of the season, looking only to their next opponent, week after week.

“That has been the constant of the consistency we have had,” he said. “We have never looked beyond the next challenge we face. The group is really good at preparing for the next one and making sure we are focused.

“Every single game has the potential to trip you up if you are not performing at the levels you need to. You can drop points, or put in a poor performance, but anyone watching us will see we are performing at a high level.

“We are not scraping through games - we are trying to bring the best of ourselves every weekend. We are focused in training every day to be at our best in the games.

“We don’t look at what the outcomes could potentially be - we just try to knock it off one at a time. Wherever that takes us, whether that is records or winning runs, we can’t look too far ahead.

“If we do that, then it could all unravel and then it means nothing as you haven’t won the game. There will be a time for reflection in the future but there is no doubt the boys have been outstanding this year.

“The level of performance they have delivered, irrespective of the competition, opponent and venue. And irrespective of the challenges we have faced from injuries and absences.

“They have just maintained a high standard every week and it means if someone is going to knock of us off, they will have to be very good.”

The next team to have a go will be Motherwell this afternoon. The Fir Park side had the dark cloud of relegation following them around ominously not so long ago, until the decision to instil Stuart Kettlewell as manager.

Eight points now separates them from the bottom two places, and that should be enough to retain their top-flight status. Postecoglou knows they will come to Celtic Park with a degree of momentum, and suggested he feels they have always been a better side than the dire run of results which cost Steven Hammell his job.

“I felt Motherwell had elements to their game earlier in the season that showed they were a good team,” he said. “But I suppose it all comes down to results. Stuart has put his own stamp in the team and they have done it in a very attacking style.

“Kevin van Veen has been outstanding, they score goals and create a lot of chances. Credit to Stuart, he has turned their season around to the point where they were one result away from challenging for the top six.

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“They will give us a real test but we are at home, we want to put on a performance and get a step closer to the title.”

There is a rare reversal on the cards this weekend, but it was put to Postecoglou that his team have only played before Rangers once since the league recommenced after the World Cup, making their consistency all the more impressive considering they were frequently reacting to their lead being cut.

The manager, however, insisted this was never on his radar.

“Well, we haven’t because that’s another thing we don’t notice,” Postecoglou said. “We are not looking at what other teams are doing. Whether we are playing first or second, or on a Saturday or Sunday, it’s not what is driving us.

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“We are not going into Motherwell thinking we can get further ahead of second spot. We are going into the game thinking, ‘We want to put on a performance and score some goals’.

“If you do think about that other stuff or you worry about who plays first, then you maybe do lose focus. We can’t control what other teams do, or results in other games.

“We have to just be strong in our mindset and focus on playing our football - and getting closer to our target.”