The timing would be perfect for Tony Popovic to take the top job in Australian football but the Western Sydney Wanderers coach has no intention of replacing out-bound Ange Postecoglou as the next coach of the Socceroos. 

The Asian Champions League-winning coach will come off contract at the end of next season, just one month before Postecoglou is set to vacate his post with the national team after publicly revealing he will not remain in charge of Australia beyond the 2018 World Cup, should they qualify for Russia. 

This week's announcement will prompt Football Federation Australia to start a search for Postecoglou's replacement within the coming months and the governing body is understood to be interested in finding a domestic coach if suitable and available. Popovic has already been mentioned once as a potential national team coach after being among the three candidates shortlisted by the FFA for the position in 2013, alongside Postecoglou and Graham Arnold when Holger Osieck was sacked after consecutive 6-0 defeats, to Brazil and France. 

But Popovic says he has no plans to put up his hand for the position despite being available for the job when it opens. 

"Lets not talk about that now," Popovic said. "No parallels there at all. Ange obviously has his own decisions to make and he will continue doing a fantastic job for the Socceroos while he's there."

Popovic has been linked with several moves abroad after attracting big-money offers from China, in particular Shanghai Shenhua, as well as interest from England with his former club Crystal Palace. However, it's understood that if he left Western Sydney once his deal expired in May 2018, foreign clubs would be the most likely offers he would accept. 

The 43-year-old has overseen a resurgence of the Wanderers' season, with Western Sydney now just one win away from the top four and clinching a home finals. They face second-placed Melbourne Victory at home on Saturday at ANZ Stadium and could welcome back captain Dimas Delgado, who is available after returning from Spain for family matters, but Popovic admits he faces a selection headache with midfielders  Kearyn Baccus and Terry Antonis in form. 

"He's our captain and we're delighted to have him back. It's good to see himself smiling, coming back from Spain. It's obviously fantastic news for his family, his wife, the birth of their first child," Popovic said.

Wanderers striker Brendon Santalab was named the PFA player of the month after scoring five goals in his last two matches and believes his club can pull off a major surprise and clinch a home final, which would be played at Campbelltown. 

"It has been frustrating but the important thing is we always had the belief there. Now we're coming to the crunch time of the season and now we're playing well and winning games at a crucial stage of the season," Santalab said.