Ange Postecoglou gave me the worst 16 hours of my life on a long-haul flight from Sydney to Dubai…but I only have myself to blame!
- Ange Postecoglou pranked one of his former Socceroos players
- Ryan McGowan embarked on a nightmare flight to Dubai
- Postecoglou refused to speak throughout the journey
A former Socceroo has lifted the lid on ‘the worst 16 hours of my life’ after being forced to sit next to Ange Postecoglou on a long-haul flight.
Ryan McGowan, 33, found himself alongside the newly appointed Tottenham boss on a trip from Sydney to Dubai when Postecoglou was manager of the Australian national team.
It ended up being an awkward journey for the St Johnstone defender when he discovered he had been pranked by teammates who had arranged for him to sit next to the 57-year-old.
“I got into some mischief beforehand with some older guys, which I now seriously regret,” he said on the Sacked in the Morning podcast in December via Football London.
‘I was in Hearts on my £100 a week and I put all my coffee in the older boys’ rooms because of course they could afford it, but I didn’t know they could choose the seats when we went from Sydney to Dubai.
Ange Postecoglou’s light-hearted side has been revealed by a former Socceroos player
Ryan McGowan sat next to the Tottenham boss on a long-haul flight to Dubai
‘I had my ticket and it was 1A, business class in the front. I get on the flight, all ready and the next moment Ange comes and he sits right next to me.
“I just sit there sweating. I was so nervous. He never spoke to me once. Not even “how are you?” McGowan said. “He did a podcast a few months ago and he said, ‘I used to love doing it. It used to drive all boys crazy’.
To make matters worse, Postecoglou was sitting between McGowan and the aisle, and he decided not to go to the toilet for fear of waking the sleeper coach.
“I held it the whole way. I definitely didn’t wake him up,” he admitted. “Some guys ordered wine. I was like ‘plain water, thanks’. When we got there, he just got up and left.”
Looking back on his experience with the highly decorated coach, McGowan was full of praise.
“He’s the best coach I’ve worked with,” he said. “He’s so distant and so scary, you’re terrified of him — I still am. He would have certain rules that were non-negotiable.
“As an average player, I liked that. He just told you what to do and you tried to do it the best you could. He was very good at that.
‘There are certain managers who say: ‘go express yourself’. I can’t express myself at all. Just tell me what to do and I’ll try!’
Postecoglou never said a word to the young defender to make him feel uncomfortable