The 3 Celtic exit chances Ange Postecoglou 'rejected' before Tottenham switch and why Spurs stood apart from EPL rival

Ange Postecoglou reportedly knocked back approaches from three different Premier League clubs in the last nine months - before finally agreeing to join Spurs earlier this week.

The Greek Aussie takes over in North London and was announced just days after sealing a Treble at Celtic. He won five domestic trophies out of six at Parkhead and leaves them in a far stronger position than he found them when he took over a club entrenched in turmoil two years ago.

He leaves the club on better terms than many of his predecessors having decided against a Brendan Rodgers-esque mid-season exit, refusing to even speak about the chance to leave before he finished the job at Hampden. It leaves Celtic with weeks to make an appointment before pre-season starts while it gives Postecoglou an entire summer to get to grips with life in the Premier League.

It could however have been so different. Postecoglou had been heavily linked with Leeds, Everton and Leicester - but a report in Australia claims it was three other top-flight English sides who made formal approaches to Celtic.

Keep Up report that Brighton, Wolves and Southampton each "made a play" for Postecoglou in the nine months leading up to his eventual exit. But he and his agent Frank Trimboli are said to have rejected each of them during the season, remaining focused on delivering success to Celtic before looking to the future beyond Parkhead.

It's claimed it was Postecoglou who refused to let it distract him and didn't want to "leave Celtic in the lurch" like Rodgers when he joined Leicester in February 2019. But when Tottenham came calling towards the end of the season, he gave his agent the green light to open talks and a move was already well advanced by the time the Scottish