Houllier not keen on England

Former Liverpool boss rules himself out

By Lewis Rutledge   Last updated: 2nd December 2007

Houllier

Houllier: Out of the running

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Gerard Houllier has ruled himself out of the running to be the next England manager.

The former Liverpool boss, who is now working as France's technical director, does not believe the time is right for him to be appointed as Steve McClaren's successor.

"This one's not for me. I'm very happy with what I'm doing in French football for now," Houllier told the News of the World.

Houllier does not think England should look for easy excuses after failing to qualify for Euro 2008.

Many have argued that the number of foreigners playing in the Premier League does not benefit the national team, but Houllier has dismissed the suggestion.

He said: "England simply can't use the amount of foreigners in the game as a reason for not qualifying for Euro 2008.

"There were no foreigners in English football between 1966 and 1996 and what did they win in those 30 years?

"The country does produce great players but the real problem is they do not produce sufficient players who are good enough to step in for injured internationals."

Candidates

Despite not being interested in the job, former England manager Sir Bobby Robson has identified Houllier as an ideal candidate.

Robson, who is one of several senior figures to have been consulted by the Football Association, believes Martin O'Neill, Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Fabio Capello would also have the right credentials.

"Of the British managers, Martin O'Neill clearly stands out. He's bright, charismatic, experienced and a proven winner," Robson wrote in the Mail on Sunday.

"Crucially, he also has the ability to change games, as do Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho. At the highest level, that is absolutely imperative.

"Capello is a safe pair of hands and, after years in Spain and Italy, it would be interesting to see how he coped with the mentality of an English player.

"Gerard Houllier is being championed by some figure at the FA and I know players such as (Steven) Gerrard look up to him."