Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou returned to Scotland with Tottenham Hotspur last night as part of their pre-season schedule.
The Australian enjoyed an intriguing debut campaign at the Lilywhites, finishing fifth in the Premier League and earning subsequent Europa League ‘league phase’ qualification for 2024/25.
Having already made tracks in the transfer market, Postecoglou has brought in Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray to add some finesse to his talented squad, who will be expected to improve on their league position this term.
Last night, reports broke that he is believed to be under consideration to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager, with the Football Association set to draw up a shortlist of potential candidates for the role.
Postecoglou has now responded to the links in typical fashion following his side’s 5-1 victory over Heart of Midlothian last night.
Ange victorious in Scotland return, responds to England links
Last night, Tottenham got off to a flyer in pre-season, defeating Hearts 5-1 courtesy of goals from Brennan Johnson, Will Lankshear, Mikey Moore, Djed Spence and an own goal from Lewis Neilson.
Post-match, Postecoglou gave his thoughts on being linked with the England job to Sky Sports after being prompted, but he didn’t give much away on the potential of him taking over.
He stated: “Mate, I’m in the middle of pre-season, the start of pre-season. I’m the Tottenham manager, and I’ve got nothing else (on my mind) than trying to bring success to this football club. Until I do that, there’s no point in me thinking about anything else. I had a nap this afternoon, mate, so I’ve got no idea what’s going on.”
On returning to the international scene in the future, referencing his time with Australia, he said: “I enjoyed my time; I had four great years; we won the Asian Cup and qualified for a World Cup. But, with all these things, there is always a natural ending.
“I thought it was a natural ending for me there, but I love coaching; who wouldn’t love coaching their national team? In the future, who knows, mate? Five years ago, I was coaching in Japan, and now I’m in the Premier League.”
It would be interesting to see if England’s interest in Postecoglou is genuine or not. His tactical framework has made an impression south of the border, and his insistence on operating in a high-octane style caught many by surprise in the opening months of the last Premier League campaign.
For now, his focus will be on delivering silverware at Tottenham. Enduring a trophy drought that extends back to 2008, the Australian will believe he is the man to buck that trend.
Celtic fans have a better working knowledge than most about the intricacies of his football and won’t be surprised that he is garnering attention due to his work south of the border.
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