Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou will sensationally walk out on his job, even if Australia qualify for the FIFA World Cup, reports emanating from Melbourne suggest.

Postecoglou’s men scraped past Syria in extra time on Tuesday evening, leaving the Socceroos just one play-off away from football’s biggest party.

Australia will now play the fourth-placed side in North and Central American qualifying – to be determined later on Wednesday – in a two-legged play-off next month, with the winner reaching the World Cup proper.

But even if they make the World Cup, which Australia has not missed since 2002, it will be without Postecoglou if a News Corp report is on the mark.

“I am in a bit of shock but hopefully he can get us to the World Cup,” ex-Socceroo forward Archie Thompson told Fox Sports News.

“I would have thought after last night [win over Syria], that passion … I thought he would have seen us into the World Cup.”

Football Federation Australia [FFA] are expected to release a statement on Wednesday afternoon [AEDT].

Former footballer Andy Harper, who co-wrote Postecoglou’s 2016 biography, said the reports came as a “surprise”.

“Personally, I don’t know how much is in this story,” Harper told Fox Sports.

“It’s a surprise, if I’m honest. He [News Corp writer David Davutovic] has written very boldly.

“He’s very strong in his suggestion … the descriptions attributed to Ange’s attitude are pretty consistent to his general philosophy, so maybe there is something to it.”

Ex-Socceroo midfielder Mark Bresciano added: “It was a shock … I guess he has his reasons and it’s not an easy decision to make.”

He said that Postecoglou may “have an opportunity to go elsewhere, which is probably his aim, to coach in a European league or coach overseas somewhere.”

Postecoglou has been regularly criticised in recent months for perceived stubbornness over tactics and Harper said: “If people are true to their criticism, it should be making a lot of people very happy.”

Postecoglou spoke in the build-up to Tuesday’s match that it could easily be his last in charge of the Socceroos, given the ramifications a defeat would bring.

“There’s always that possibility every game, that I could be gone,” he said at a news conference.

“I don’t think that way, mate. That kind of stuff doesn’t really enter my thinking.

“I’ve coached my country now for 11 years … more than I have club football.

“I’ve never taken it for granted and I certainly don’t think about myself in this situation, whether it’s the first or last game.

“If Tuesday is it for me then I won’t go into it with any different feeling than I have any other game.”

Postecoglou has often said the 2018 World Cup campaign would be his last did not give any inkling about a departure after Tuesday’s win, though, telling reporters that he was “immensely proud of the players and the staff”.

– More to come