Monday 26 November 2018 17:18, UK
Les Ferdinand has dismissed reports he turned down the chance to become to succeed Dan Ashworth as the Football Association's technical director.
The QPR director of football was reported to be on a four-person shortlist drawn up to be Dan Ashworth's successor for when he leaves the job in the spring to take on a similar role at Brighton.
Ferdinand told a QPR fans' forum last week that he would be remaining at Loftus Road. But he revealed he was interviewed for Ashworth's position, adding the FA felt he was not the right candidate for the role at this juncture.
"The FA wanted to speak to me so I asked them to speak to the club," he told Sky Sports News.
"I spoke to the owners here and they said 'we 100 per cent don't want you to leave the football club but it's the national team, we think you should talk'.
"I went and I did an interview for the position - I'm glad I went for the interview and went through the process - but at this moment in time they didn't think I was the right person for the role.
"I was at a fans' forum the other day and somebody asked me if I was leaving the club and I said no.
"Somewhere along the way it has been misconstrued that I didn't interview, that I turned the interview down. No, I spoke to Dan Ashworth and Martin Glenn and we had a conversation but they deemed I probably wasn't the right person for the role at this moment in time."
Ferdinand, who scored five goals in 17 appearances for England, revealed he would be interested in the position should it become available again in the future.
"There's still a lot of work for me here to do [at QPR] but I felt I had to talk to them as it was the national team," he said.
"It's the national team and I was very proud to play for England, so somewhere, somehow along the way if it ever comes up again [I would be interested].
"Having spoken to them [the FA] I felt now was probably not the right time for me, but I didn't make that decision, they made that decision."
