Dwight Yorke backs Ange Postecoglou to be a success with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League
Dwight Yorke has backed Ange Postecoglou to become a success at Tottenham and insists football fans and pundits shouldn’t be surprised to see him make his mark on the Premier League.
Postecoglou was officially unveiled as Spurs’ new manager on Tuesday after signing a four-year contract to become the first-ever Australian manager in Premier League history.
Tottenham had been looking for a new permanent manager since Antonio Conte’s sacking in March, with Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason taking on interim coaching roles for the next two months.
A move for Feyenoord boss Arne Slot fell through at the last hour, as the Dutchman joined the Eredivisie side, and attention soon turned to Postecoglou, who won five of the six domestic trophies won in two seasons. were available at Celtic.
The Australian has never managed to get into any of Europe’s top five leagues, but Yorke, now aceodds.com ambassador, believes concerns about his pedigree are misplaced.
Ange Postecoglou was appointed Spurs manager on Tuesday morning but has his doubts despite his golden run with Celtic (pictured)
Dwight Yorke has ensured the Australian is a success in the Premier League – and has some advice for anyone looking to undercut him based on the standard of Scottish football.
“He’s clearly done the business in Scotland,” the former Manchester United and Aston Villa striker told Mail Sport a few days before Postecoglou’s appointment was made official.
“Because he’s been successful I know people will probably try to undercut the level of teams in Scotland.
“But at the end of the day, you can only beat the teams in front of you. And he has consistently succeeded.’
The former Socceroos boss is no stranger to having to prove doubters wrong.
His move to Celtic two years ago was widely derided given his lack of experience in European football, having spent much of his career coaching in Japan and Australia.
However, Postecoglou quickly won over his critics.
In his first season at Parkhead, he won the League Cup and wrestled the SPL title back from Rangers before defending both trophies this season.
On Saturday, he became just the fifth manager in Celtic history to complete a domestic treble as the Hoops beat Inverness 3-1 to clinch the Scottish Cup.
“He’s done a remarkable job,” explained Yorke, who spent one season in the A-League as a player and one as a manager.
Postecoglou won five trophies in two seasons at Celtic Park and last week became just the fifth manager in the club’s history to complete a domestic treble
Celtic were mocked for appointing Postecoglou in 2021, but he quickly won over the fans
“He got a job at Celtic, which is clearly one of the two biggest clubs in Scotland. […] Once you go to one of the top two teams in Scotland, the potential to win a trophy is always there.
‘Winning the treble […] he always looked at that. In these kinds of scenarios it would always be Celtic or Rangers.
“We saw Brendan Rodgers do it, we saw Neil Lennon do it there too. It’s a fantastic achievement.’
Rodgers moved south of the border midway through his third season with Celtic after winning seven trophies with the Hoops.
Postecoglou left Parkhead with the club’s blessing, but Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell admitted the Scottish giants had done everything they could to convince him to stay.
But Yorke said a move to the Premier League was the logical step for a manager on the rise.
“Ideally every manager would want to play in the best league, and the best league is in the Premier League,” he said.
“So no surprise he was linked to a possible job.”
After leading South Melbourne to two titles as manager in the old National Soccer League in 1998 and 1999, Postecoglou coached Australia’s youth teams for seven years.
He returned to club football in 2008 and he led Brisbane Roar from bottom of the A-League to consecutive Grand Final victories in 2011 and 2012, with a record 36 games unbeaten.
After a four-year stint in charge of Australia, Postecoglou moved to Japan to manage Yokohama F. Marinos and lead them to their first J-League title in 15 years in 2019.
Postecoglou’s path to North London may not be the one normally traveled by his European peers, but Yorke believes it is a testament to the Aussie’s determination to prove himself.
The 57-year-old (left) led Brisbane Roar to consecutive A-League titles in 2011 and 2012
Postecoglou won the J-League while in charge of Yokohama F. Marinos in 2019
“He was a little unknown when he first took the job [at Celtic] in terms of what he had done,” he says.
“To go from the A-league to Japan, then from Japan to get an opportunity in Scotland and the Celtic job.
“If you do well, it doesn’t matter what league you are in and what level you coach at.
“If you’re successful as a manager, which he is now, you’ll always have that pull to try and make it to the Premier League.”