FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Kilmarnock v Celtic - Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland, Britain - April 16, 2023 Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates after the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo
(Reuters) - New Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou said he would do everything possible to ensure the London side returns to playing exciting football the fans have longed for and can be proud of after taking over the reins at the Premier League club.
Spurs appointed Australian Postecoglou as their new manager on a four-year contract earlier this week and the former Celtic coach has his task cut out after the north London side finished eighth and missed out on European football.
The club's fans have longed for the exciting brand of football they played in the halcyon days under Mauricio Pochettino where they were league title contenders and even reached the Champions League final.
Postecoglou, who finished his career at Celtic with a domestic treble last week, said the Spurs job represented an "exciting opportunity" for the club to go in a new direction.
"(We want to) play football and create an environment that embodies the values and traditions of this fantastic football club, hopefully a team you can all be proud of and, more importantly, get excited by," Postecoglou said in a statement.
"I can assure you that, right through pre-season, we won't leave any stone unturned -- myself, the staff and the players -- to make sure that, when the league comes around, you'll all be as excited as I am about the season ahead.
"I really look forward to seeing everyone at the stadium, in particular at our first home game and look forward to the journey ahead."
Postecoglou will take charge of Spurs on July 1 and his first match will be on his home turf when they play newly-crowned Europa Conference League champions West Ham United in a pre-season friendly in Perth, Australia on July 18.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
