This is the moment that Rangers players headed down the tunnel early before Celtic lifted the League Cup trophy yesterday at Hampden.

Ange Postecoglou's side came out on top via a Kyogo Furuhashi double as a late Alfredo Morelos goal ultimately was not enough to haul the Light Blues back into the game.

Footage captured from the stands showed how the Rangers players and management collected their runners-up medals and headed straight down the tunnel before Celtic lifted the trophy.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou felt two-goal Kyogo Furuhashi epitomised the hard work that brought his side more silverware as a 2-1 win over Rangers sealed the Viaplay Cup.

The Japanese striker supplied two close-range finishes as the Scottish champions retained the trophy at Hampden.

Furuhashi also hit a double in last season’s final against Hibernian and Postecoglou stressed how well-deserved his glory is.

“It’s invaluable to have a player who is willing to do everything in his power to help the team,” he said.

“It’s not just about his goals. Obviously the goals are the most important thing but he just works so hard. He is not floating about out there just waiting for a chance, he is running his socks off to do what other strikers won’t do because he knows it’s the right thing for the team.

“Players at this club are often measured by how they perform on the biggest of stages and he delivers again.

“You look at his size and the players he is up against and he doesn’t shirk anything. He puts the opposition under pressure, he is so clever with his movement, and he wants to be front and centre when the opportunities are there.

“He was outstanding and he has been outstanding and he has been outstanding from the moment he joined this club.”

Rangers manager Michael Beale admitted they had paid for a slow start as he suffered his first defeat in charge of the Ibrox club.

“We started the game really poorly,” he said. “We were always in the game but we never played with a rhythm that we wanted to or can do in the first half.

“There’s no complaints with the result. At the start of the second half we improved and had a big moment when Ryan (Kent) hits the post and we should do better with the rebound.

“If we score in that moment then it might be a momentum change but we find ourselves 2-0 down. We score and showed a lot of character and resilience to push the game but I was expecting more from myself and the team so it’s disappointing.”

Beale felt their fightback was down to “energy and intensity” but he added: “We didn’t play to our true level. Why that is, I will have to go back with the staff and players and look at it because there have been a few times since I have come back – and I don’t want to make a mountain of the performance because we have done well, that’s the first defeat in 15 games – but there’s been a number of games where it’s taken an honest half-time conversation to force a reaction from the team.”