Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger rules himself out of the running for England job
The Arsenal manager also revealed that he has not received any contact from the FA with regards to the vacancy
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsene Wenger has seemingly ruled himself out of the running to succeed Sam Allardyce after claiming that the next England manager should be an Englishman.
The Frenchman also revealed that he has not received any contact from the Football Association with regards to the vacancy.
Sam Allardyce was dismissed last month following just one game in charge after appearing to suggest he would help undercover reporters, posing as fake businessmen, circumvent regulations regarding third-party player ownership.
Gareth Southgate has stepped into the void and will take charge of the national side for their next four international fixtures.
Wenger was previously considered as a candidate following Roy Hodgson’s resignation last June but, once again, the Frenchman appears to have distanced himself from the role.
The 66-year-old, whose current £8m-a-year contract expires next year, says Arsenal is his priority.
“It’s very important [that it’s an Englishman],” the Frenchman said in an interview with beIN Sports.
"I've always said that England has a huge football passion and if tomorrow you have a game with France then it would be difficult [for me] not to sing the national anthem.
"It's logical. I thought they'd say I'm half English after being here for 20 years! It's better to have an Englishman.
"It would be difficult to manage another English club team. The national team is different. But my first priority has always been Arsenal."
Wenger added that: "There has been no contact."
With Southgate in charge for the next four games, the FA will not begin the search for a permanent manager until the 47-year-old has been given the chance to prove his worth.
This delay would grant the governing body time to build bridges with Wenger but the Frenchman’s latest remarks seem to have closed the door on any English hopes.
"There is nothing really to add. Personally I want England to do well,” the Arsenal manager said.
"I think Roy Hodgson was unlucky and Sam Allardyce, by his own admission, said he made a mistake.
"It was untenable because if he stayed in charge then at every press conference the subject would've come up again.
"During the tournaments the pressure on the national team is massive and sometimes that makes it very difficult."
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