Former Leeds United player Michael Bridges has claimed he told the club to "keep an eye" on Ange Postecoglou years ago during a conversation with a board member in pre-season.
Postecoglou was one of the many names tipped to replace Jesse Marsch following the American's sacking over a fortnight ago. Javi Gracia's arrival put to bed what has been a frantic search to bring in a new head coach, with the Spaniard now just awaiting the green-light on a work permit before he can get to work.
The 52-year-old will have 15 games to keep Leeds in the Premier League, starting with a vital clash against Southampton this Saturday. However, if the club had listened to the advice of Bridges all those years ago, there may well be a very different face standing in the Elland Road dugout come this weekend.
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“It’s really ironic,” Bridges told the GegenPod Football Podcast when asked about Postecoglou. “I remember having a chat with Paul Bell [the club's executive director] when Leeds and Manchester United played each other three or four years ago at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
“We were having a chat and I was saying how [Marcelo] Bielsa is an incredible manager, but who are you [the club] looking at to be the next manager should anything happen?”
“I threw Ange’s [Postecoglou] name in back then and said, 'Just put him on the radar, keep an eye on what he’s doing’. I said he’s doing wonderful things and that they should keep an eye on what happens and it’s so refreshing to think that Ange is talked about in the Premier League, which is absolutely incredible for Australian coaches.
"Kudos to Ange for where he’s been, what he’s done and where he has come from. If you think many years ago, certain people were calling for his head when he was U23s coach of the Socceroos [Australian national team]!”
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