Socceroos star reveals why sitting next to ‘scary’ Ange Postecoglou was ‘worst 16 hours of my life’
Socceroos star reveals why sitting next to ‘scary’ Ange Postecoglou was ‘the worst 16 hours of my life’ – as he calls the new Spurs boss the best coach he’s ever had
- Ex-footballer Ryan McGowan had a flight to remember
- Flew business class alongside then coach Ange Postecoglou
- The 33-year-old joked that it was the “worst 16 hours of my life.”
- Postecoglou was announced as the new Spurs boss on Tuesday
Former Socceroos defender Ryan McGowan has revealed why it was ‘the worst 16 hours of my life’ sitting next to Ange Postecoglou on a flight – before labeling the new Tottenham boss as the ‘best manager’ he’s ever worked with .
McGowan, 33, was part of the Socceroos set-up under ‘Aussie Ange’ between 2013 and 2017, and featured at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
He is also the player who provided the assist for Socceroo’s great Tim Cahillwhose brilliant first volley against the Netherlands in the group stage was arguably the goal of the tournament.
Speak on the BBC’s fired in the morning podcast, the journeyman defender, who plays for St Johnstone in Scotland, recalled a grueling flight from Sydney to Dubai in which he unwittingly sat next to Postecoglou.
“I got into some mischief beforehand with some older guys, which I now seriously regret,” he said.
Former Socceroos defender Ryan McGowan had an intense long-distance flight as he ended up sitting next to the new Spurs boss
McGowan went on to be labeled Postecoglou (pictured at Brazil’s 2014 World Cup where he coached the Socceroos), the ‘best manager’ he’s ever worked with
‘I was at (Scottish side) Hearts with my £100 a week ($185) and I put all my coffee in the older boys’ rooms because they could clearly afford it.
“But I didn’t know they could choose seats when we flew from Sydney to Dubai… [and] it was the worst 16 hours of my life.
‘I had my ticket and it was 1A, business class in the front. I get on the flight, all set and the next moment Ange comes and sits next to me.’
McGowan confessed that he was “too scared to go to the bathroom during the flight” and “held it in the whole way, I definitely didn’t wake him up.”
He went on to explain what makes Postecoglou a world-class manager.
“Ange is the best coach I have worked with. He’s so distant and so scary, you’re terrified of him – I still am. He would have certain rules that were non-negotiable,” he said.
“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 and express yourself.’ I can’t express myself at all. Just tell me what to do and I’ll try!’
Postecoglou, 57, was confirmed as Tottenham’s new manager on Tuesday, a milestone for Australian football.
Socceroos boss Graham Arnold has no doubt that Postecoglou will be a success in the Premier League
He has already won silverware in Australia, Japan and Scotland at club level – but success in North London with hard-to-please Spurs fans would, in the eyes of many, eclipse any of Postecoglou’s previous achievements.
Current Socceroos boss Graham Arnold has no doubt Postecoglou will ‘prove the doubters wrong’ with early results in the Premier League.
“I think he’ll kill it,” Arnold said. “He’s just totally obsessed with the game. It’s his life.
“I always knew he had the mindset of where he wanted to go, which was to the top.”