Terrors want Levein stay

Thompson desperate to retain manager

Last updated: 17th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Terrors want Levein stay

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Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson does not want to lose Craig Levein to the Scotland national team.

The former Leicester City and Hearts manager is one of the early favourites to succeed George Burley, who was sacked on Monday evening.

Thompson has no plans to lose Levein, who has impressed at Tannadice, insisting he would love to have him at the club for the foreseeable future.

While the Terrors supremo admits he cannot stop the Scottish Football Association making an approach for his manager, he hopes they look elsewhere for a replacement.

Long-term stay

"I don't want Craig going anywhere," Thompson told the Scottish Sun.

"He's the club's longest-serving manager since Jim McLean and, while Craig's an ambitious man, I'd love to still have him here five or 10 years from now.

"I suppose it's a compliment our manager is being mentioned in these terms.

"But it's difficult as, while I'll always want the national team to do well, at the end of the day I don't own the national football team.

"I want the best for my club and we want to hold onto the management team in place. I have huge respect for Craig as a person and a manager and all I really want is for him to remain as our manager.

"Hopefully the SFA find someone else for the job."