Callum McGregor insists it was instantly clear Ange Postecoglou was the man to steer Celtic back on track.
The Parkhead skipper revealed he knew straight after meeting the new manager that the club were on to a winner.
That hunch proved correct as Postecoglou led an unfancied side to a Scottish Premiership and Premier Sports Cup double, all while implementing a high-tempo style fans have fallen in love with.
Asked when the players knew the 56-year-old was "the real deal", McGregor lifted the lid on an emphatic first impression.
"I think pretty much straight away," the midfielder told Sky Sports. "He said all the right things and, at a club like Celtic, to want to play fast, attacking football is music to everyone's ears.
"That's what the supporters want to see, that's what the players want to play in.
"You saw very quickly his sessions were all very high tempo - touch, pass. He wanted the whole thing to be moving all the time.
"So, you could tell right away that was the type of football he wanted to play and it was just a case of building from there."
McGregor believes that early impression was key in Celtic 's players buying into the project Postecoglou was pitching.
He said: "Straight away you just get a great feeling off him. He had that authority, he spoke well and he had a caring nature as well, in terms of that he really wanted to help the players.
"He's said it numerous times he would take responsibility for the style of play and the way he wanted the team to function.
"The players grasped that straight away and they felt at ease with that."
