Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he was always destined to become a football manager, having started coaching when he was just 12 years old. The Greek-Aussie ended up taking charge of his school team when he was just a boy, winning his first trophy in the process. His winning of the U-12s state championship in Melbourne would set him on the road to a life in football and more specifically, management.
Football Scotland reports on Celtic’s new leader saying:
“Looking back it seems crazy, to me more than anyone else.. I don’t know why people were listening to a 12-year-old but there must have been something about me that made them. It’s quite bizarre when you think about it but it’s probably why I have always felt more of a coach. I struggled with my playing career as I just felt my destiny was to be a manager.”
What is most telling is that Ange insists that it is in the sphere of coaching where he really came into his own, whilst conceding that it’s where he has always felt most at ease.
“That was the space where I always felt most comfortable. I would have been annoying as a 12-year-old coach. I’m sure that I would have annoyed a lot of people. But that’s when the coaching career started.
“There hadn’t been a soccer team before and we put a group together. We had a music teacher who said he would take the team but there wasn’t any coaching or training. He would sit and mark his homework while we all just had a kickabout.
“After the first few sessions I took control. It sounds bizarre because I was so young. But for some reason I took control of the whole thing and people listened. I didn’t just pretend to be the coach. I picked the team, we had sessions and I told everyone what to do. Looking back I think I got power hungry.”
Postecoglou also recalls there being a nervous and anxious wait to find out if he would lead his U-12 teammates and comrades to his first trophy in management.
“I was a player, coach and captain and one of my closest mates – we’re still friends to this day – wanted to bring me down a peg or two. He decided that the team would have a vote to see if I should continue as captain. We had the vote and it ended up being unanimous.
“I said to my mate, ‘How could it be unanimous if you called the vote in the first place?’ And he said, ‘I voted for you too. You’re the best person for the job but I just wanted to see if other people would vote for you’. I was running the show and to this day I don’t understand why anyone listened to me. I wasn’t anything special. My mates still say to me, ‘Why were we listening to you back then?’ But we ended up winning the Under-12s state championship at South Melbourne’s ground.”
It seems that Angelo Postecoglou was pre-destined to become a football manager. It was always in his blood. Playing football was merely a means to an end for his true qualities to shine through this intriguing character. The leadership skills that he showed as a 12 year old are still present today. It is that leadership and determination that will wrestle back our crown this season.
Paul Gillespie
