O’Neill not thinking of United post

(GSM) – Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill says he has never thought of succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager. O’Neill, along with a host of other managers, has been linked with the United job when the 68-year-old Scot steps down.

Papers have spoken about possible candidates for the Old Trafford hot-seat with Jose Mourinho and Steve Bruce among the names mentioned to take. However, O’Neill says he has never thought of the idea becoming United manager.

O’Neill said, “I’ve never thought about that at all, not for one second, not even way back when I was at Celtic.

“I think Sir Alex will decide, and I would think in about the year 2033 when he thinks to himself, ‘yeah, I think that Champions League has gone past me for the final time’, then I will have departed this earth long before him – because I’ve got a lot more worries.

“It’s never really bothered me. And of course there’s always somebody coming up, somebody whose name is relevant at the time.”

O’Neill, who celebrates his 58th birthday on Monday, says that anyone who replaces Ferguson would have a very tough job.

He added: “For anybody it would be absolutely an impossible job to succeed him. What can you do? Win the Premier League 10 times? You’d still be just starting out against him.

“I know Brian Clough went to Leeds and said he could win it better but he only lasted 44 days and to be honest, it wasn’t his most inspiring moment.”

Interestingly, O’Neill’s Aston Villa meet Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday in the Carling Cup final.