Micah Richards has fired a transfer warning to Celtic after hailing some of the business conducted by Ange Postecoglou.

The Sky and BBC pundit has been hugely impressed with the job the Parkhead boss has conducted since he arrived in Scotland and he hailed the club's victory over Rangers on Sunday in the League Cup final.

Recruitment has also caught the eye of Richards, but he hopes the raiding of the Japanese transfer market does not come back to bite the Scottish champions.

On the signings of Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, Tomoki Iwata and Yuki Kobayashi, Richards told BBC Radio: "They have got some good players but you have to (shop in other markets), not everyone is going to the same market for players. Bigger clubs might want to delve into these markets but they need a player who is ready-made.

"Japanese players want to learn and Celtic is a massive club to show what you can do. Players like Virgil Van Dijk playing up there and going to the Premier League, so massive credit to them, long may it continue. But the better they perform, the more expensive they will become, so a lot more people will delve into that market now. It's a good thing for them and the players they are recruiting.

"But it's also a bad thing as now maybe some of the bigger clubs who don't usually go in that market won't go to the likes of Celtic."

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 on Sunday.

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.”