Ange Postecoglou’s name has emerged amid the feverish speculation about who will become the next England manager, but the Australian is adamant it’s all news to him.
British newspaper the Telegraph has led the reports that Tottenham Hotspur‘s boss is expected to be on the list of candidates being considered by the Football Association (FA) to take over from Gareth Southgate.
Southgate resigned this week, 48 hours after England were beaten 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final by Spain in Germany.
The Telegraph reports 58-year-old Postecoglou has been tracked by the FA for years, with technical director John McDermott “an admirer” of his successful and attractive attacking ethos with the Socceroos, Yokohama F. Marinos, Celtic and now Spurs.
But his link with one of the biggest jobs in world football was seemingly a total surprise to Postecoglou when asked about it after Tottenham beat Scottish club Heart of Midlothian 5-1 in a friendly in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
“I am at the start of pre-season and am the Tottenham manager, so I have got nothing else but trying to bring success to this football club,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports News.
“Until I do that, there is no point in me thinking about anything else.
“I had a nap this afternoon so I have no idea what is going on.”
Asked if he would consider a return to an international job in the future, Postecoglou said of his Socceroos spell: “I enjoyed my time. I had four great years.
“We won the Asia Cup and qualified for the World Cup, but with all these things there is always a natural end, and I thought it was a natural end for me there.
“I loved coaching the national team. In the future, who knows? Five years ago I was in Japan, and now I am in the Premier League.”
Postecoglou’s attraction for the FA does not seem outlandish given the manner in which he guided Spurs to a fifth-place finish in his first season at the helm.
There has been huge interest in Southgate’s successor, with Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe the leading candidate, much to the chagrin of the Magpies who have vowed to resist any approaches for their English boss.
Other coaches linked with the job include England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley, who led them to the European Championship last year, and Jurgen Klopp, who left Liverpool at the end of the season. Mauricio Pochettino, Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel have also cropped up.
England’s next match will be against the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League on Sept. 7, with an interim manager to be appointed should a full-time successor not already be on board.
