Postecoglou has won back-to-back Premiership titles and League Cup trophies with Celtic; they will clinch a domestic treble if they beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday
Monday 5 June 2023 09:07, UK
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou insists being linked with a move to Tottenham "doesn't register" with him.
He has emerged as the preferred candidate for the vacant post with Sky Sports News previously reporting that Postecoglou was on Spurs' list of prospects alongside Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Fulham's Marco Silva.
The Australian has overhauled the Celtic squad since taking charge in the summer of 2021 and has won back-to-back Premiership titles and League Cup trophies.
Celtic will clinch a domestic treble on Saturday if they beat Inverness Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup final, and Postecoglou insists that is his sole focus - not the continued speculation about his future.
"It doesn't register," he said. "I get that people love to speculate on these things but we've worked really, really hard to get ourselves into this position.
"For me to let my mind wander about anything else other than getting our team prepared for a big day on Saturday, it's just not who I am."
Postecoglou has been linked with a number of Premier League jobs this season, including those at Everton and Chelsea, and he is confident the players will not be affected by the latest interest.
"We've done this dance a few times this year so I think the players are well aware of where my thoughts lie," the 57-year-old added.
"Whatever it is, the players are really good at just focusing on what's important - and what's important is getting ready for a big game on Saturday.
"It doesn't enter my sphere of thinking because my role is to make sure my team is absolutely prepared for whatever the next challenge is.
"Far be it from me to say that if a cup final isn't enough for me to draw all my attention to that then nothing will be."
Postecoglou is currently on a one-year rolling contract at Celtic and added that he has not thought about talking to the board about his future after Saturday's final.
"No because that would mean me planning, organising, thinking about anything other than Saturday," he said.
"I understand that's your job to ask these questions because that's the role you're in, but you're not invested in this football club like I am, like the players are and the supporters are.
"For me I woke up this morning thinking about one thing, the same thing I've been thinking about for the last seven days - we want to make sure we play well in this cup final and make it a truly special season."
The manager had success in Australia and Japan before moving to Celtic, winning major silverware with Brisbane Roar and Yokohama F. Marinos.
A move to Spurs would mean working under the club's new chief football officer Scott Munn, who Postecoglou knows from his time working within the City Football Group.
Munn, who is also Australian, will take up his post on July 1.
Former Celtic midfielder Stiliyan Petrov spoke to Sky Sports News about Postecoglou at his foundation's annual golf day:
"I'm not surprised because as a player or a manager when you do well you attract attention from the big leagues and big clubs.
"I hope that Celtic can keep him because he has done an incredible job. The team is playing really well, they're playing in a fashion that everybody enjoys. It would be a big loss, but if he goes he'll be remembered as a great manager.
"Everywhere he's gone he's taken clubs in a mess, in trouble and he's put it right with a great style of play, with excitement and creativity. That's what Tottenham Hotspur will be looking at as well.
"He's done it and he'll have a good squad to work but I'm more looking forward to him staying at Celtic because he's important."
