Celtic have been on an upward trajectory all season.

The teams resurgence has been down to hard work and dedication from all involved, but it’s sometimes needed a little bit of luck.

What do I mean by that?

There have been two major Celtic rejections this season that played out in the media. The first rejection was Eddie Howe; after a much publicised chase of the Englishman he pulled out at the eleventh hour from taking over as the Celtic boss. At the time, Celtic fans couldn’t believe the club didn’t have Howe locked down to a deal and allowed him the opportunity to snub Celtic.

We all know how the story goes after Eddie’s snub. Ange Postecoglou dropped everything in Japan and made his way over to Glasgow to begin work.

It was the first major piece of luck Celtic got this season that didn’t feel like it at the time. The board missing out on their number one managerial target only for them to go and get a manager much more suited to Celtic and our ethos.

We then went into the January window and the manager was looking to build on the team he was putting together. After signing the three Japanese bhoys from the J-League , he turned his attention to fellow countryman Riley McGree. The attacking midfielder was high on Ange’s list of targets and there was a moment when Ange believed Riley was on his way to Celtic. As the story goes – Riley got offered better terms at Middlesbrough and decided to snub a move to Ange’s side.

That rejection put the wheels in motion for Celtic to sign Matt O’Riley. The Celtic midfielder did tell CeltsAreHere during one press conference that his move to Celtic fell into place very quickly and might not have happened at any other time during the window. It was meant to be and Riley has headed to England and suffered major setbacks. So far, McGree has only made 5 appearances for his new club, totalling 271minutes with no goals or assists to his name. [TransferMarkt]

Matt O’Riley on the other hand has made 15 appearances for the bhoys, scoring three goals and assisting in two. Being a constant threat in Celtic’s attacks and being a legitimate contender to rival Tom Rogic.

Two rejections this season have turned into incredible positives for the club. If nothing could go right last season, everything seems to be going right this term. Things are not over yet, and Celtic have work to do if they’re going to win the league, but going into the final stages of the season with a treble still on the table is quite incredible.