EFL coach tipped to be next Scotland manager after 11 years away alongside Ange Postecoglu

Ange Postecoglou has been backed to succeed Steve Clarke as Scotland manager.

The Australian is available having been out of work since being sacked by Nottingham Forest in October.

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Postecoglou previously spent two years in charge of Celtic, winning five trophies including back-to-back league titles.

talkSPORT’s Shebahn Aherne has now tipped him to return to Scotland and continue his ‘love affair’ with the nation.

It comes after Clarke resigned as manager on Saturday night after his side’s World Cup exit was confirmed.

Scotland finished the group stage as the 11th best third-place team and missed out on a place in the last 32 on goal difference.

Clarke spent seven years in the role, during which he qualified for three out of a possible four major tournaments.

This summer’s World Cup marked their first appearance at the tournament in 28 years.

Could Postecoglou manage Scotland?

Aherne, who followed Scotland for talkSPORT at the World Cup, discussed the possibility of Postecoglou succeeding Clarke on the World Cup Breakfast.

“I like the idea of Ange Postecoglou, that’s been tagged around a few times.

“He’s got a bit of a love affair with Scotland from his time at Celtic. I don’t know if the Rangers fans would love that.

“Do we keep it as a Scotsman or do what England have done and go and get an international manager?

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“I’m not entirely convinced yet. If they offer up a good name, then you have to consider it. If Tuchel wins [England] the World Cup, it will be incredible, it shouldn’t matter where he’s from.”

Berti Vogts was the last foreign manager to take charge of Scotland, with the German in the role between 2002 and 2004.

However, talkSPORT co-host Andy Goldstein has dismissed the suggestion that Postecoglou should be given the job.

“I think he’s a terrible manager.

“I think he’s a dreadful manager, we saw it at Spurs, I know they won the Europa League, and we saw it at Nottingham Forest.”

Despite winning the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur in 2025, Postecoglou was sacked following their 17th placed finish in the league.

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He subsequently lasted just eight matches in charge of Forest last season.

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink sided with Aherne, though, as he hit back at Goldstein’s comments.

“I think you’re out of order, seriously out of order.

“I think he’s more than capable. I like Ange. There’s not a lot of people who have done well at Spurs, he won a cup and there are so many managers who failed at Spurs. He’s a very good manager.”

Neil backed

Goldstein’s Breakfast co-host Darren Bent had another suggestion for Clarke’s successor as he singled out the job done by Millwall’s Alex Neil.

The 45-year-old guided the Championship club to a third place finish last season before losing to eventual play-off winners Hull City in the semi-final.

It followed an eighth place finish the previous season following his appointment in December 2024.

Neil has not managed in Scotland since leaving Hamilton 11 years ago.

Bent explained: “The job he’s done at Millwall. You look at him last year with Millwall, limited budget, hardly anything, gets them to the play-offs.

“Obviously they lost in the play-offs but the job he did at Millwall was incredible and I know obviously he wouldn’t want to leave Millwall but to me that makes sense.

“Right profile, I think he’s a good manager, I think he’s a good coach as well.

“It does feel kind of harsh on Steve Clarke, but getting them to a World Cup, could they have got out the group? Could they have done a bit more? Probably because that’s the thing, I don’t think they played well enough in those games.”

Scotland are next in action in the Nations League in September, with matches against Slovenia, Switzerland and North Macedonia.

Meanwhile, Neil’s Millwall begin their campaign away to Bristol City on August 15.