Ange Postecoglou shares his 'special connection' with Ferenc Puskas

Ange Postecoglou wishes Ferenc Puskas was still alive to witness his journey after he reflected on his "special connection" with the Hungarian great ahead of Tottenham's Europa League tie at Ferencvaros.

Postecoglou worked under the former Real Madrid striker at South Melbourne Hellas during the twilight of his playing career and has previously revealed he used to chauffeur the widely acclaimed manager in his banged-up Datsun 200.

Puskas, who won three European Cups with Real Madrid and was dubbed 'Galloping Major', died in 2006 before his old captain had started to make waves across the continent.

Ahead of Thursday's clash in Budapest, Postecoglou admitted: "I do have a special connection, for me anyway, with Mr Puskas."

"I was blessed to be able to spend three years in the company of one of the greatest footballers of all time, but more importantly for me an outstanding person."

"He was one of the greatest people I've ever come across and I feel really fortunate to have had those three years with him, where I was able to sit there and talk to a person who in the football world had done everything, but more importantly, a person who I had so much respect and admiration for."

"I still think about it and it still feels unreal to me that I got that opportunity being based in Australia. As you get older you keep those experiences even more."

"I would love for him to still be around today to see where I am because he played a role in me becoming certainly the football manager I am. He played a role in that but also the person I've become."

"I'm looking forward to the game tomorrow. It's going to be a great challenge. Every European game, especially away from home, is going to be difficult."

"I know in this stadium, the atmosphere is going to be good. They get behind their team, they love European football here and I think it's one that me and the players are looking forward to."

Ferencvaros boss Pascal Jansen is also excited about the chance to face Tottenham after the Dutch coach spent some of his childhood in London.

"If you know a little bit about my background then you know probably how I felt when I saw Tottenham came out of the draw. I was born in London myself," Jansen revealed.

"Playing against them is a very special thing."

"I spent my younger years going back and forth from the Netherlands to the English side by boat with my mother. Spent some great times there."

"At the time Tottenham were one of my favourite sides, as a few others, but mainly because they played in white because I have something with white as well."