Ange's former assistant John Hutchinson opens up on Celtic hopes; Postecoglou's LinkedIn backing

By Euan Davidson

January 13, 2022

John Hutchinson, an assistant to Ange Postecoglou at Yokohama F Marinos, had hoped a call would come after Ange left Japan for Celtic.

Unfortunately for the Aussie coach and A-League legend, that call never came. But just as Ange had done before, his decision inspired Hutchinson to try something brand new. Hutchinson is now managing El Paso Locomotive FC, in the USL.

In a fascinating interview, Hutchinson explained how he hoped something would materialise with Ange Postecoglou. And he also explained how he got the job with Yokohama F Marinos, involving a prominent social networking site, but probably not the one you’d expect.

Hutchinson told Keep Up: “When Ange left for Celtic and nothing eventuated from there, my mind and heart was set on becoming a manager.

“[Then] I wanted to find a club that want to win and grow in all areas. [After Postecoglou left I] had opportunities to stay in Japan as an assistant but I just felt like it was time to become my own manager.

“[In 2020] I was in Seattle when COVID hit and I didn’t know who to reach out to, I was really struggling, I didn’t know whether to stay or go. It’s easy to come home.

“I actually jumped on LinkedIn and sent Ange Postecoglou a message, pretty much saying ‘hey, I’m struggling’, not expecting a reply. That night I received a really nice message back from him.

“I didn’t know the guy, I’d said hello once to him before. He sends me this message of hang in there etc. I woke up in the morning with renewed energy. A few months later he contacted me about a position opening. We spoke for an hour and I literally accepted on the spot.”

Some fascinating conclusions from John Hutchinson and his Ange Postecoglou anecdotes; could Celtic move have materialised?

So, the myth around Postecoglou grows: he was determined to come to Celtic without any of his staff, it seems. That includes a guy in Hutchinson who, by the sounds of it, would’ve followed him anywhere. It seems unlikely that Celtic would’ve stonewalled even one new member of staff from the offing.

That had to have been a conscious decision on Ange’s part, then.

Secondly, Ange Postecoglou is clearly tech-savvy, enough to check his LinkedIn. Imagine a former Australia manager giving you advice on there? It’s incredible stuff. Clearly, it worked for John Hutchinson, and although he was a big star in Australian football, it just goes to show; shoot your shot, you never know what opportunities might come up.

Either way, Hutchinson now has his own managerial gig, and it’s a really interesting one. El Paso Locomotive, of Texas, is a great opportunity for a burgeoning manager. Having only debuted competitively in 2019, not a whole lot will be expected of the former Yokohama F Marinos assistant.

As a proving ground, it’s a really fascinating one.

If he needs advice, Ange Postecoglou will likely be checking his LinkedIn messages to see if Hutchinson’s name has popped up.

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