Just hours after ‘Big’ Sam Allardyce’s sacking from his position as manager of the English national football team, the rumour mill was abuzz with speculation about Arsene Wenger being potentially offered the role in the future.
And now, a few days later, the Football Association’s (FA) chief Martin Glenn has confirmed that Wenger is indeed one of the candidates to take over the England job.
Wenger perfect for the job, says FA Chief
Glenn, who believes that the current Arsenal boss has the credentials to manage the England team, he also said that Wenger would be ‘perfect’ for the job. When asked about Wenger’s suitability for the job, he told reporters on Friday, “He’d fit the criteria perfectly. Of course, he would, as would a few others.”
Also Read: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger open to England role in the future
Glenn also spoke about how the next England manager does not necessarily have to be English. “I don’t think you have to be wedded to the fact he has to be English, I think that narrows the field too much and we want the best person for the job. Being English is a benefit, a bonus. But if we are saying he absolutely has to be English, then we narrows the field too much.”
“If you look at the track record of success in international managers, they are usually older. They have had experience in the game and the average age of a successful manager is probably in their 60’s. It’s a fact, but it doesn’t have to be an overriding one.”
Wenger doesn’t rule himself out of the job
It has just been days since Wenger officially completed 20 years at the helm of Arsenal Football Club, but for his part, even he refused to rule out the possibility of managing England in the future.
At the recently held press conference where Wenger commemorated 20 years with Arsenal, when asked about the England job he said, “One day if I am free, why not?”
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Wenger didn’t reveal a lot in his press conference and had this to say, “My priority is to do well here (at Arsenal). It has always been my club. For now, I am focused on the job. I want to win absolutely everything and play the perfect game in every single game, that is my dream. I want people to enjoy what they see, and the players to enjoy what they do.”
Arsenal the priority for Wenger now
However, in the same breath, Wenger was realistic. “I accept that it can finish tomorrow as well. It’s a love story and you always expect a love story to last forever, but it can always stop suddenly. People know that if things go well, my priority is this club. I have to accept as well that if things don’t go well, maybe I’ll do something else.”
Finally, Wenger insisted that he would not make a decision on his future until his current contract finishes at the end of the season. On a lighter note he said, “If I manage England and play against France, I cannot sing the French national anthem and not the English one. I’m not English, I am French. I feel French as well.”
“But of course, you don’t spend 20 years in a country without identifying and getting used to some values or behaviours of the local culture. I do not want to give you some fruit for speculation. The priority is this club and what we want to achieve together, until the end of the season.”
