Treble-winning Celtic boss touted for international management return as Premier League icon outlines wish list

Former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has emerged as a potential contender for a dramatic return to international management, with questions being raised over Tony Popovic’s future as Australia head coach.

Postecoglou has been suggested as a possible candidate to take charge of the Socceroos for a second time, with Popovic’s current contract set to run out next March.

Australian football great Mark Schwarzer believes Postecoglou deserves serious consideration should the position become vacant, although the 61-year-old is currently working in Saudi Arabia as manager of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.

Postecoglou previously spent four years at the helm of his country between 2013 and 2017, leading Australia to an historic Asian Cup success in 2015 before stepping down following qualification for the World Cup.

His reputation continued to grow after moving to Scotland, where he collected five trophies across two successful seasons with Celtic before taking up the challenge at Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.

Now, a return to the international stage has entered the conversation following Australia's elimination from the 2026 World Cup.

Popovic guided the national team into the last 32 but saw their campaign come to an end after a penalty shoot-out defeat against Egypt. With his contract approaching its conclusion, speculation over who could succeed him is beginning to gather momentum.

Speaking on The Mark Schwarzer Podcast, the former Australia goalkeeper highlighted four potential candidates. He said: “For me, Peter Cklamovski, Ange Postecoglou, Kevin Muscat, John Aloisi: they’ve all got to be names in some form of discussion. Postecoglou has been away from Australia since leaving at the end of 2017. It’s all about circumstances, timing and also the situation.

“Is the style of football that we see the national team playing right? Is there a directive from the Federation of how they want that to happen? How they want that to be played? Is there an expectation?”

Australia legend makes major prediction

Premier League icon Schwarzer, formerly of Fulham, Chelsea and Leicester City, also stressed that Australia's next managerial appointment must be made with the country's emerging talent in mind, believing the right coach could help unlock the potential of an exciting blend of youth and experience.

He added: “We’ve got an exciting group of players. Who is the right person to take this crop of young players that are coming through mixed with experienced players?

“Who is the best candidate to get the best out of those players going forward? And in turn, when you get the best out of those players, you’re going to get the best out of the team, hopefully and that’s the main objective.”

Muscat is another intriguing name in the frame. The former Rangers defender is currently in charge of Chinese outfit Shanghai Port and was previously linked with the Ibrox vacancy following Russell Martin’s departure last year.

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