Ange Postecoglou lands megabucks new job and follows route of Celtic successor amid Scotland link

Postecoglou jumped to the head of the bookmakers’ market last weekend in the wake of Steve Clarke stepping down with Scotland. However, the Australian won’t be presiding over the national team after being named as the manager of Al-Nassr.

The Saudi Arabian Pro League side clinched the title by two points under Jorge Jesus, but they parted company with the Portuguese - who was on a reported salary of £10 million per year - not long afterwards and have made a further statement of intent in luring Postecoglou to the Middle East.

Postecoglou will take charge of superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo as well as his Portuguese compatriot Joao Felix and Senegal front man Sadio Mane from next season.

While Postecoglou may have been a popular choice with some sections of the Tartan Army, his appointment always appeared fanciful. The 60-year-old would have commanded a huge salary following stints with Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League.

His stock rose during a fruitful two-year spell in charge of Celtic, where he won five trophies before being lured to Spurs in the summer of 2023.

He will join Brendan Rodgers, his successor at Celtic, in Saudi Arabia, as he is currently in charge of Al-Qadsiah.

Postecoglou has been out of football management following his sacking by Forest last October after just 40 days. He led Tottenham to the Europa League final in 2025 but was dismissed following a poor campaign in the Premier League.

He has since been a pundit and has been worked for ITV during this World Cup.

Scotland are looking for a new head coach for the first time in seven years following Clarke’s decision to stand down after the Scots failed to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup.

Postecoglou, who managed his native Australia at previous finals, became a frontrunner for the role due to his prior experience with the Socceroos and his success within Scottish football, but he will now work in Saudi Arabian football.

Other early candidates for the Scotland job include Everton boss David Moyes and Millwall’s Alex Neil.