Who is Ange Postecoglou? Is he leaving Celtic for Spurs - contract and salary explained

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next permanent boss at Tottenham Hotspur.

The North London club are currently searching for a long-term replacement for former manager Antonio Conte after interim spells for both Christian Stillini and Ryan Mason. Tottenham endured a disappointing season last time out and they are set to experience life without European football for the first time since the 2008/09 campaign.

Postecoglou is viewed as a highly talented manager and he is hugely popular with large sections of the Celtic fan base. His recent success has seen him linked with a number of Premier League jobs throughout the campaign during an unprecedented season of managerial chaos.

But who is Ange Postecoglou and is he likely to leave Celtic Park this summer? Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Ange Postecoglou is a Greek-Australian football manager who is currently in charge of Scottish champions Celtic. Postecoglou was born in Greece on 27 August 1965 and he emigrated to Australia when he was just five years old.

Postecoglou enjoyed a 10-year playing career from 1984 to 1994 and he played as a defender in the Australian football league. He represented the Socceroos at international level and won a total of four international caps.

Postecoglou's managerial career

Ange Postecoglou returned to his former club South Melbourne in 1996 and lifted the top-flight title on two occasions during his four year stint at the club.

The former defender later acted as coach for Australia’s under 17’s and under 20 teams between 2000 and 2007.

Postecoglou returned to the Australian top-flight in 2009 and he lifted two top-flight titles in three seasons with Brisbane Roar. 

In 2013, Postecoglou was appointed as the manager of the Australian national team. He was tasked with rejuvenating the team which was deemed to be too reliant on the golden generation of 2006.

Postecoglou successfully qualified for the 2014 World Cup but his side failed to win any of their three games in a difficult group containing Spain, Netherlands and Chile.

Australia were crowned AFC Asia Cup champions a year later for the first time in their history and they defeated South Korea in the 2015 final.

Postecoglou remained in charge of Australia for a further two years but he resigned in November 2017, just two weeks after a successful qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup.

Postecoglou returned to management the following year and he enjoyed a three year spell in Japan with the Yokohama F.Marinos. In 2019 he guided the club to their first top-flight title in 15 years, whilst also becoming the first ever Australian to win the title in Japan.

When did Ange Postecoglou join Celtic?

Ange Postecoglou’s success at international level and Asia caught the attention of Scottish giants Celtic and he agreed to join them in 2021.

The Glasgow club appointed Postecoglou on a 12-month rolling contract and they were hoping to reclaim the Scottish title from their arch-rivals Rangers.

Postecoglou succeeded in his excitement in his first season and Celtic were crowned as both the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League cup champions in 2021/22, losing just three league games all season.

The Australian manager has since continued this success - Celtic defended their Scottish Premiership title and their League Cup title and they are on course for an incredible domestic treble.

Is Ange Postecoglou likely to leave Celtic?

Ange Postecoglou’s exciting and expansive playing style has caught the attention of a number of Premier League clubs including Tottenham. He was also linked with the likes of Leeds United, Southampton and Leicester City earlier in the season.

Postecoglou arrived at Celtic on a one-year rolling contract in June 2021 and it is believed that he is still under a one-year rolling contract. His salary is reportedly in the region of £2 million a year.

Postecoglou is now reportedly the preferred candidate for the Tottenham Hotspur job and he has also been installed as the bookmakers' favourite for the role with SkyBet offering odds of 1/2 to be Tottenham boss on the first day of the 2023/24 Premier League season.