Ange Postecoglou maintains he has 'no idea' regarding reports suggesting he is in the running to become the England manager. The Football Association has initiated the search for a new manager after Gareth Southgate's decision to conclude his eight-year tenure on Tuesday, following the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain. Postecoglou, along with England Under-21s coach Lee Carsley, Newcastle's Eddie Howe, former Chelsea managers Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter, and ex-Bayern Munich head Thomas Tuchel, is on the FA's list of potential candidates.
Having had a largely successful first season with Tottenham, who ended fifth in the Premier League, the forward-thinking Postecoglou would be a fascinating choice to succeed Southgate, who faced widespread criticism for his defensive tactics. However, the 58-year-old emphasized his focus is solely on Tottenham, who kicked off their preseason with a 5-1 victory over Scottish Premiership side Hearts on Wednesday.
'I am at the beginning of preseason and am the Tottenham manager, so I have nothing else on my mind but trying to bring success to this football club,' Postecoglou stated. '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 with the speculation.'
Postecoglou led Australia from 2013 to 2017, taking them to the 2014 World Cup, and won the Scottish Premiership twice with Celtic before joining Tottenham in 2023. When asked if he would contemplate returning to an international role, Postecoglou replied, 'I enjoyed my time with Australia. 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.'
England's first match post-Euros is on September 7 against the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League. The FA may appoint Carsley as an interim manager if they have not secured a permanent replacement for Southgate by the time they face Ireland.
