Vogts gets a vote for the England job

Berti Vogts, the former Germany coach, said yesterday that he had been sounded out about the England coaching job, but has had no direct contact with the Football Association.

Berti Vogts, the former Germany coach, said yesterday that he had been sounded out about the England coaching job, but has had no direct contact with the Football Association.

"There's been an indirect query through a middleman. For me, it's a great honour that my name has been tossed in the hat - but there's been no direct contact," said Vogts, who led Germany to the 1996 European Championship.

Vogts has said he would consider the job a great honour and would seriously think about taking the post if offered. "It makes me very happy that the former Germany coach plays a role in who is considered for this very exciting post," Vogts said.

The 53-year-old former defender, who was part of the World Cup-winning side from 1974, took over as the German coach after the team became world champions again in 1990. He was forced to resign after leading the team to the quarter-finals in France 98.

The FA's chief executive, Adam Crozier, has not ruled out the possibility of a foreign coach as England continues the search to replace Kevin Keegan, who quit after the 1-0 defeat by Germany in the World Cup qualifier at Wembley

"It is up to the FA to decide who they want. England is one of the great jobs in football and there are coaches all over the world now who would love to take up the challenge," Vogts said. "If the FA came to me about the England job I would think hard about it. It would be a great honour."

Germany's interim coaching team of Rudi Völler and Michael Skibbe may take over from the in-coming national coach, Christoph Daum, once he leaves Bayer Leverkusen.

Völler said yesterday he will decide by December if he wants to become the Bundesliga club's team chief, with Skibbe as his coach. "I'm assuming that its 100 per cent certain that I will return to Leverkusen. We'll see if I sit in the stands or if I'm on the bench - that's dependent on who's the coach," said Völler, who might also return to his old job as director of football.

Skibbe, the former Borussia Dortmund coach, could only join Völler at Leverkusen if he chooses not to stay with the German Football Federation, where his likely post would be youth development. But Leverkusen's management has made it clear they would like the coaching duo, who haveenjoyed rave reviews in Germany for turning around the national team after Euro 2000.

Völler, who does not have a coaching licence, leads the team while Skibbe stays in the background, running training and helping to draw up the tactics. But the former striker said all the praise for his work has not changed his mind about stepping down for Daum. "It's always said, Völler is a nice guy and he'll do a good job. If he loses now and then, everyone will forgive him," he said. "But I know, even in my case, I can get away with maybe one more loss and then I'll be mercilessly criticised like everyone else."