ENGLISH candidates will not be considered for the vacant Welsh manager’s position, the FAW revealed yesterday.

It hopes to appoint Chris Coleman’s successor before the draw for the new Uefa Nations League takes place in Switzerland on January 24.

“We have always favoured Welsh people because, arguably, the passion is there,” Football Association of Wales chief executive Jonathan Ford told BBC Wales.

“Welsh most definitely, foreign possibly, but definitely not English.”

Coleman parted company with the FAW last month following Wales’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.

His assistant Osian Roberts and former Wales strikers Craig Bellamy and John Hartson have all expressed their interest in taking over.

The last six Wales managers, including caretakers, have been Welsh, with Englishman Bobby Gould the last foreigner to hold the post, between 1995 and 1999.

“We have a little bit of time and we will be going through that process, a diligent process, to select our new manager, maybe towards the end of this year or the start of next year,” Ford said.

“We have the draw for the European Nations League at the end of January so it would be lovely to take a new manager across to that draw, so that gives you the first sort of deadline we are working to.

“Understandably a lot of people have expressed interest. These kinds of jobs advertise themselves.

“But I also have to go and see the relevant people. It’s a two-way street — people will assess us as much as we assess them and I would expect any prospective candidate to understand the system we have in place.”

Ford said there are no ill-feelings towards Coleman, who guided Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
Coleman cited “differences” with the FAW following his departure to take over at Championship side Sunderland.