Ange Postecoglou has laughed off suggestions that he could manage England one day in the future.
While England and Australia are used to butting heads on the cricket and rugby fields, they will come up against each other on the football pitch on Friday in a friendly at Wembley.
Postecoglou was in charge of the Socceroos the last time they came up against the Three Lions back in 2016 at the Stadium of Light, with the hosts running out 2-1 winners on the day.
Ironically, it was Eric Dier who put the ball into his own net in that game while Fraser Forster started between the sticks for England (BBC Sport).
Postecoglou had the opportunity to take his national into the 2018 World Cup in Russia but resigned from the job just ahead of the tournament.
When asked if he would consider managing Australia again one day, the 58-year-old told Football.London: “No, I walked away from a World Cup. We qualified and I walked away. The reason I walked away was I just didn’t enjoy what I was doing.
“I think I’ve said all along, it’s not just doing the job and winning games of football. It’s got to be a higher purpose and my higher purpose in Australia was to change the game. I just don’t think that will happen.”
Ange Postecoglou, head coach of Tottenham Hotspur during the pre-match press conference between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City, pre-season friendly football match at Rajamangala Stadium on July 23, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Vachira Vachira/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
When asked if he had any regrets about walking away from the job after qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, he added: “No, I knew it was the right time and it wasn’t an easy decision obviously because you are giving away a World Cup. For a lot of people that’s their biggest dream and I gave it up.
“I’d been to 2014 anyway but I knew it was the right decision. It was the right decision for me, it was the right decision for where I saw the next stage of my career and if I didn’t make that decision at that time, if I had waited until after the World Cup, I’ve got no doubt I wouldn’t be sitting here now.”
Could Postecoglou manage England one day?
Postecoglou was quite dismissive of suggestions that he could one day end up as England’s manager.
When asked about taking over at the helm of the Three Lions, he said “Oh, come on mate!” while putting a hand to his face.
When it was put to him that stranger things have happened than an Australian being in charge of the England team, he said: “Very true, stranger things have happened, but no. They’ve got a fantastic manager and I’m eight games into a Tottenham career. That’s how I think.”
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In hindsight, Postecoglou’s decision to leave the Australian national team and take up a job at Yokohama Marinos certainly proved to be the right call, given the trajectory that his coaching career has gone on since.
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