MIKEL ARTETA says he would have happily played for England but confirmed he was not one of the candidates the FA approached to replace Gareth Southgate.
The Arsenal boss was at Everton in 2010 when he was approached by then-England boss Fabio Capello, who thought Arteta might be eligible to play for the country where he had been resident for five years.
The FA later stated their understanding of Fifa’s complex eligibility rules would have rendered the Spaniard ineligible, despite having never featured for his country’s senior side.
He said: “I was thinking about that the other day. I was actually talking to [Arsenal sporting director] Edu about that at lunch. Yeah, I would have done it.
“I feel very proud about it. I was very realistic, looking at the players Spain had at the time, and how big a challenge I had.
“You need to know your level, that is very important. Look in the mirror. At the end it didn’t happen. But it was good, at least to think about it.
“It was OK. If you cannot do it, you cannot do it. I wasn’t prepared to fight against the world.”
Arteta has now lived in Britain for 22 years and appreciates why some might feel disappointed in the FA’s decision to appoint German Thomas Tuchel, the third foreign manager to lead the national side. The 51-year-old German has signed an 18-month contract through to the 2026 World Cup finals.
The ex-Chelsea boss told the BBC the FA first contacted him in late August, when Arteta was still negotiating a new deal that would keep him at the Emirates Stadium until 2027.
While FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said “approximately 10” candidates had been interviewed, Arteta confirmed he was not one of them, nor is he at a point where the prospect of an international management position entices him.
Eddie Howe also confirmed he was not interviewed for the England head coach position, but the Newcastle manager has not ruled himself out of being national team boss one day.
