Football Association chairman David Bernstein has said that the FA will look overseas if necessary to find the right candidate to replace Fabio Capello as manager of the England football team.
According to Bernstein, the next England manager will ideally be "English or British" but must, above all, be "the best person" available. The move to consider overseas candidates will surprise many as the FA had been expected to focus on English candidates only, with Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp installed as the bookies' favourite for the post.
When asked if the new manager would be English, Bernstein told a press conference at Wembley: "No, he will not definitely be English. Clearly there's a preference for an Englishman. The position hasn't changed. There's a preference for an English person or a British person, but in the end we want the best person. So I'm not prepared to rule out anything at this stage."
Bernstein said the FA was "open-minded" on the prospective appointment and did not rule out an initial part-time role. "We don't want to rush anything. There's no need to rush. We'll give it proper consideration and it'll have high priority," he said.
"We will do this as quickly and sensibly as we can but don't want to rush the process. We want to do it properly, do it professionally. We will put a shortlist together of key people. We will do it as soon as we can. It will be a major priority for us. "
Bernstein also added that it was important for any appointment to find favour with England fans and that the new manager would be allowed to select his own captain.
"We want to make an appointment that the public are positive about, but we can't be driven by that," he said. "We have to do this professionally and with an open mind, but certainly with the desire and wishes of the fans. They (the fans) are crucial to us. The new manager will make his appointment as captain."