FROM the very start of his Celtic tenure, Ange Postecoglou has outlined that he is not a manager who believes in short-term fixes. That being said, he has done a pretty decent job of rebuilding the Celtic side into a competitive proposition in relatively short order.

Now though, with the trio of signings he has managed to bring into the club early in the transfer window from Japan, he feels he has the makings of a team that can be successful not only this season, but for years to come.

Postecoglou has spoken about his triumvirate of captures from the J-League for the first time, giving a detailed run-down of each and what he expects they can bring to the party. Most importantly though, as well as the much-needed depth they will provide the Celtic squad, he believes they have the quality to make an instant and lasting impact on the team he is trying to build.

“I said all along that we kind of knew what we needed to do in January, and the key was to try and do it as early as possible,” Postecoglou told Celtic TV.

“It’s a tricky time this time of the year when you want to try and bring in players, but you want to bring in players who are not just going to be emergencies to fill in gaps, but guys you feel you can build a team around, and to do that, the earlier we got them in the better.

“Everyone at the club worked awfully hard to get the deals done, and we had great cooperation from the Japanese clubs involved and the representatives, so I was really pleased when we managed to get them across here early in the new year, which meant they were here for the first training session.

“I didn’t want this January window to be about trying to fill gaps. We’re still building a team, and it wasn’t about trying to react to the way this season has gone so far. It was always part of the planning.

“I knew during the summer window our ability to attract Japanese players over here was going to be a challenge, but the January window was one I knew we could definitely get some, so we started our work pretty early. Almost from the moment the summer window here closed.

“I’m really pleased to get them in because I think they will be an important part of what we’ll build here.

“From our perspective, they are here for the long-term, they are here to be part of the building of this team that we hope can be successful for a number of years ahead.”

As well as leaning on his general knowledge of the Japanese market, Postecoglou has opted to bring in a player he has managed before at Yokohama F. Marinos, in striker Maeda.

“He’s a really determined character in terms of wanting to be the best that he can be,” he said.

“I could see from the first time I brought him in that he wanted to improve.

“He had already had a bit of a stint in Europe, but I could see that it was unfinished business for him and he really wanted to come back and prove himself in Japan to hopefully get another opportunity.

“So, because I knew him and the style of play and he was familiar with us, I was actually keen to try to bring him in during the summer window, but it’s very hard to get Japanese players to come across mid-season.

“Yokohama were doing well, and it was one I felt we could wait until January to bring him in, because I knew his attributes and I felt he would do well for us and in this league.”

A factor working in Maeda’s favour was the previous stint in Europe that Postecoglou mentions, with a short spell under his belt at Portuguese side Maritimo.

Similarly, Ideguchi had a rather ill-fated spell at Leeds United, as well as loan moves to Cultural Leonesa in Spain and Greuther Furth in Germany.

Those experience may not have gone entirely as either player would have hoped, but Postecoglou believes they will only steel the players to prove they can cut it in Europe this time around.

“I think it helps,” he said. “With Daizen and Yosuke, I thought that was absolutely an added bonus for us because they have had that experience.

“It is a very different culture in Japan, and for a lot of Japanese players their first move across can be pretty challenging.

“But both of those guys, I don’t think they had a negative experience, I just think they had a tough experience.

“I really liked the fact that even though they came back to Japan, they came back with the intent of going and proving themselves again.

“Yosuke is someone I followed because when I was managing the Australian national team he was in the Japanese national team. He was someone we scouted and he was an exciting young talent.

“Again, he’s a guy I’m really pleased to bring in and be able to work with.”

The Celtic supporters have yet to hear from the third member of the trio, with Hatate only arriving in Glasgow on Wednesday from Kawasaki Frontale.

Postecoglou has moved to clear up some speculation over where he sees the 24-year-old’s role within the team, with his versatility causing some to wonder if he is the answer to the problem left-back position.

“He’s a player I watched develop whilst managing over in Japan, and Kawasaki Frontale are a fantastic team,” he said. “They’ve been the outstanding team for the last five years.

“They’ve got some ridiculous talent in their ranks, and Reo is definitely one of them. You could see that from the moment he stepped into their first team.

“He’s a lot of success, he’s played at a club that demands success and wants to win every week, which will sound familiar to people involved in this club. So, I knew that he had the right type of character and temperament.

“In terms of position, he’s a midfielder, he’s an attacking midfielder and he’s one I think will develop over time.

“He’s only had two years of senior football, he came through the university system, so he’s got a lot of upside and I’m really excited to start working with him.”