Ange Postecoglou is bringing happy days back to Tottenham, joking on Friday that his bedroom wall no longer carries posters of his two childhood heroes — The Fonz and Kenny Dalglish.
Postecoglou supported Liverpool as a youngster growing up in Melbourne, and adored Dalglish, the legend of Tottenham’s opponents on Saturday. As a self-confessed hoarder of childhood mementos, he still has old VHS tapes of Liverpool games he recorded.
Yet Postecoglou, now 58, insists he has moved on from that red era as he explained: ‘It was the Seventies so you went one or two ways — Liverpool or Manchester United. A couple of my mates went United so I went Liverpool to keep it interesting. Like any kid, I had the posters up on my wall.
‘I was consumed by football. I was fascinated by the culture at a club like Liverpool — the Boot Room, (Bill) Shankly, (Bob) Paisley, Ronnie Moran. I loved reading about it. Just as I was interested in reading about Sir Alex (Ferguson) or Jock Stein.
Ange Postecoglou has made an impressive start to life at Spurs since taking over this season
The Tottenham boss confesses a childhood love for 1970s TV classic Happy Days
The Aussie reveals he was a big fan of Liverpool growing up and loved Kenny Dalglish
‘Reading those stories back then, that was my escape. There was a unique story (at Liverpool) about this mythical Boot Room where all the magic happened. For me, it was like reading fairytales. That was my way of creating a world. Obviously that has an influence because that’s where all the seeds were planted, my love for the game.’
Asked who adorned his Liverpool posters, Postecoglou said: ‘Everything was about Dalglish for me, whether Celtic or Liverpool. I was a mad Kenny fan. I was 12, 13 and we look for heroes in our lives. He was it for me. Him and The Fonz.’
Tottenham and Liverpool are unbeaten in the Premier League as they lock horns in the game of the weekend.
Brennan Johnson is set to miss Saturday’s match but in-form duo Son Heung-min and James Maddison should feature after training at Hotspur Way following minor injuries.
Son has stepped up since the sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, helping Tottenham score at least twice in all six of their Premier League games.
Tottenham are unbeaten in the league this season, but so are Saturday’s opponents Liverpool
Postecoglou praised Son and his team-mates, saying: ‘Harry is a world class striker. When you lose somebody of that significance, it can have an impact. But the players have not used that as a crutch or an excuse. They’ve embraced it.’
Postecoglou and Jurgen Klopp’s touchline demeanours are opposite with one calm and the other chaotic.
‘I watch a game of football like I watch a movie,’ the Spurs boss said. ‘I concentrate. I don’t like people talking to me. I don’t like being distracted. It is who I am as a person.
‘It depends on your personality. That’s how Jurgen is, that’s how Mikel (Arteta) is, or Pep (Guardiola). That’s who they are as people. It’s how we cope with stress and we all cope with it differently. That’s my coping mechanism.’
