English Premier League club Everton to replace Rangers in Sydney Super Cup

Ange Postecoglou’s remarkable first season in charge of Celtic caught the attention of Everton manager Frank Lampard.

Frank Lampard is excited about Everton’s trip to Australia. Picture: Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Everton manager Frank Lampard has revealed his admiration for Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou ahead of the pair’s Sydney Super Cup duel in November.

Lampard’s Everton has replaced Celtic’s bitter rivals Rangers in the three-game series, with the English Premier League club’s meeting with Postecoglou’s Scottish champions on November 20 at Accor Stadium being the Cup’s highlight.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” former England international midfielder Lampard told News Corp Australia.

“Australia is somewhere I have never actually been, so on a very personal level, I’m excited at the prospect of coming over.”

And Lampard is just as thrilled about locking horns with Postecoglou after the former Socceroos coach’s achievement of guiding Celtic to Scottish Premiership and League Cup glory in his first season in charge of the Hoops.

“I’ve got an awful lot of respect for what Ange did last season at Celtic. It isn’t easy to hit the ground running in a league you’ve not worked in before,” the Everton gaffer said.

“He did that really well, winning the title with a very definite style of play – a really exciting brand of football.

“It is hard to explain the atmosphere of an Old Firm game. The rivalry in Glasgow is one of the fiercest in world football and Ange embraced that challenge.

“It was a big achievement for him last year and it was impressive to see the way he went about it.”

Ange Postecoglou’s Scottish title-winning effort impressed Frank Lampard. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Postecoglou has added Socceroos legend Harry Kewell to his coaching staff, with Lampard saying the former Leeds and Liverpool star had a “very special talent”.

“Harry was a fantastic player. He was one of the first Australians to really light up the Premier League,” Lampard said.

“He was fantastic to watch. He was difficult to play against because his skill made him unpredictable.”

Lampard also loved the challenge of taking on another Socceroos stalwart, Everton great Tim Cahill.

“My overriding memory of Tim is his competitiveness. He was a talented player, but he was always fearsome. He loved the battle and he was always leading by example in that respect, he said.

“No matter how tough a competitor he was, though, he was always fair.

“He is still held in such high regard by Evertonians. They loved the way he played with his heart on his sleeve and was always there in the big games.

“When I’m talking about players with Everton attributes, Tim is a great example.”

Tim Cahill has been admired for his ‘Everton attributes’. Picture: Michael Steele/Getty Images

Everton’s other Sydney Super Cup match will be against A-League outfit Western Sydney Wanderers on November 23 at CommBank Stadium, while Celtic faces Sydney FC on November 17 at Allianz Stadium.

“When the chance to play in the Sydney Super Cup came up, I was keen to do my homework, and there is no doubt the A-League is growing well and becoming more and more competitive,” Lampard said.

“The chance to pit ourselves against the Western Sydney Wanderers will be a bit of a step into the unknown for me and the players. That is exciting and something to look forward to.”

Lampard promised to bring as strong a squad as possible to Sydney for the Cup, which takes place while the English Premier League season is in recess because of the World Cup in Qatar.

“Other than the players that will be on duty at the World Cup, we will be bringing our strongest possible squad,” he said.

“The players were excited about the prospect of the tour when I told them.

“Such a long mid-season break is new for us all. It is something we are looking forward to, but it is equally a new challenge to make sure the players maintain their levels of fitness and performance for the return of the season at the end of December.

“Being able to play top opposition in an exciting and different environment, and also enjoy an Australian summer, will be a big plus in terms of keeping the squad at the level we need.”

Sydney Super Cup

Celtic v Sydney FC, November 17, Allianz Stadium

Everton v Celtic, November 20, Accor Stadium

Everton v Western Sydney Wanderers, November 23, CommBank Stadium

Originally published as English Premier League club Everton to replace Rangers in Sydney Super Cup