Everything that Ange Postecoglou said to Celtic TV as the club returned to pre-season training today.

First of all, have you had a good break after a really busy and ultimately successful season?

Yeah, I had a good break and when you look at it all it was kind of hectic 18 months not just for myself but for the family too coming over from Japan last season and going right through until the end of the season. It was great to spend time with the family and switch off and reflect a little bit on last year. I am ready to get going again.

It's great to see you and the two trophies of course did you get time on your break to let what you had achieved in your first season sink in?

A little bit. You kind of try and switch off when you can and that includes if you reflect on last season you are still thinking about football. I think we had a great final day at Celtic Park and I still had a week after that to go around the place and talk to people and see what it meant not only to the football club but to the supporters. I had a good week in Glasgow after we played the final game. When I went away I tried to switch off but as the weeks went on I started to think about this season.

That final day against Motherwell was amazing - the sun came out, and your family were all there - looking back was that a real highlight for you?

It was a special day for everyone and we knew we were champions by then but credit to the lads and everyone involved as they just made it a really special day with a really good performance and that allowed everyone to enjoy it in their own way. It was just great to see. Most of my family was out there on the pitch and all the boys' families too. We often talk about the commitment we put into the football club and our families are also part of that it was great to see them share the moment and see our supporters enjoy it more than anything else.

What is the mindset going into the new season as you have set such a high bar - how do you follow that?

We didn't set out with any specific targets last year we just wanted to be the best we could possibly be and it will be the same this season. If we can improve on our performances from last season, and we have to in everything we do, then we are going to finish in a pretty good spot. What that means in terms of tangible results I don't know but every year I have started a football season I have wanted to be the best I can possibly be. That is our aim again this year.

You will be looking to strengthen the squad in this transfer window, is the aim the same as last season to try and get the business done as early as possible so you can integrate any new players into the squad?

Last season I was really keen to get people in the building and we kind of knew we would have a few leaving the club as well. It was a real hectic time and in the January window we worked a bit more methodically. We knew what we wanted and got it done early. It's the same this time as I am not one to rush things. For me, the most important thing is to get the right players in, that's the key, and it is not just about them as players as it is about them as people. For that to happen we can't put timelines on things. Obviously, I would like the earlier we get players in the better. We have a unique scenario in that we have a clean pre-season without any competitive games which is a great advantage for us. The thing for me, apart from strengthening the squad, is being able to work with the group of players we had last year during pre-season. That is going to be invaluable because most of them missed pre-season, were thrown in during the season or halfway through the season. Even working with the existing squad over the next three or four weeks with the coaching staff will be invaluable.

You are heading to Austria for a couple of pre-season games, then the Czech Republic, then back to Celtic Park and then over to Warsaw and back to Celtic Park again - six games in all - how important will those matches be without any competitive fixtures around?

That will be super-important because once we get to the first round of the Premiership we know from then on up until the break come November for the World Cup we will be going at it and we want to be ready. We have to be ready. We know we got off to a slow start last season and we certainly don't want to be doing that again with so many important early games. I think it is a good programme we have put together and there is a mixture of us going away and playing against different types of opposition which is great. We have a couple of games at Celtic Park and a couple of European trips in the middle which hopefully prepares us for the Champions League. We have tried to put a programme together which will give us the best chance to be ready.

READ MORE: Celtic pre-season schedule confirmed as further match in Austria is announced

You have brought in a new member of the coaching staff, Harry Kewell, a player and a man that you know well, of course, what do you want him to add to the group?

Harry Kewell is someone whom I know through the Australia connection but we have never worked together. He is one of Australia's greatest ever footballers and a guy who has worked really hard to get a coaching career going. From afar, the reports that I have had on him is that he will bring some really good qualities in terms of his on-field coaching and his ability to mentor players. It was really important that when the players came back this season they understood that nothing stands still and there is a constant evolution. We want to better every year and seeing a couple of new faces in the staff is going to help that. He will bring energy as I know he's super excited about being involved at this level and this football club. He's got Champions League experience as a player and has won it. He was an attacking player and that will help the group and the balance we have in the coaching group. Alongside Stephen McManus and Darren O'Dea, I have a really good, exciting vibrant young coaching group who will put a lot of energy into the first team and the B team this year.