Though he’s been out of the game for some 18 months, it seems fairly clear that former Fulham, Sunderland and Wales national team manager, Chris Coleman, is raring to go again.
Ryan Giggs’ pain could well be his gain too, with the Wales job potentially up for grabs if the authorities release the former Man United legend from his duties.
At present, Giggs is denying all accusations being flung his way, in that it’s alleged he attacked his girlfriend, causing him to be arrested.
Speaking to S4C and cited by The Sun, though Coleman wasn’t directly asked about the Wales job, his ‘never say never’ coment hints at a potential return for a manager who is revered by players such as Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey et al.
“I’ve said before, ‘No, I wouldn’t do it’, ‘I don’t want to do this’ and ‘I’d never do that.’ I’m 50 now, so with experience you can never say never,” he said.
“I don’t know where I’ll be in five years, ten years, well, in ten years I’ll probably be retired as I’ll be 60!
“I’ve got no idea where the next challenge is going to come from. I’ve still got plenty of fire in my belly because I love football.
“I love working with football players. I don’t know where I’m going to end up, I really don’t. I couldn’t say ‘I’m definitely not going to do this; or ‘I’m definitely going to do that’.
“I think what experience has taught me one thing is you never ever know.”
It’s absolutely vital for Wales that they don’t have any off-field distractions leading up to next year’s European Championships.
To that end, if Giggs’ case is still rumbling on and threatens the equilibrium of the team, it’s likely that the authorities will move to make a new appointment.
Coleman would be the obvious choice given that he knows the set-up and many of the senior players, and he also has tournament experience with them.