ANGE POSTECOGLOU hailed his players for securing European football beyond Christmas - as well as keeping their Europa League hopes alive.

The Celtic boss saluted his players after the 3-2 win over Ferencvaros in Budapest which means the club will at least compete in the Europa Conference League in the New Year.

However, the win also keep their hopes of advancing into the Europa League knockout stages alive as they sit on six points just one behind Real Betis and four behind Bayer Leverkusen.

Thrilled Postecoglou told BT Sport: "That was our objective tonight, to try and get maximum points and keep us alive in the group.

"Full credit to the boys, I thought we played really well and scored three great goals, could've had a couple more.

"Disappointed with conceding the second one because I don't think it was a true reflection of how we played tonight.

Front-three Kyogo, Jota and Liel Abada all scored in the away win, leaving Postecoglou delighted.

"They were great tonight", he said. "But we can't discount the fact that our ability to play out from the back gives them good opportunities rather than just knocking it long. 

"They work awfully hard for the team in a defensive sense and as I've always said to them they'll get their rewards so great for all three to get goals tonight, three quality goals too.

And Postecoglou insisted his team will continue to go after teams home or away even if it leaves them vulnerable to concede as they did late on in Budapest.

He said: "The fact that we can get three goals away from home is because we'll just go at teams and I still think that is the way forward for us.

"It's the kind of team we want to be and the kind of team I think our supporters want us to be."