Hammers Not for Glen Hoddle

Glen Hoddle

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has ruled himself out of the running for the job of West Ham manager, insisting the timing is not right for a move back into club football.

Former Newcastle manager Chris Hughton remains the bookies' favourite to take the West Ham post, with Martin O'Neill and Sam Allardyce also mooted as potential candidates.

Hoddle, who now runs an academy aimed at giving young players released by their clubs a second chance, has seen his name crop up on some betting markets but the former Chelsea and Tottenham manager insists it is merely speculation.

''I've never said that I have finished with football management at any level,'' he said.

''That is something that might be for the future and I didn't replace that with my football academy, I just felt football needed something like that.

''The guys needed something of second a chance to get back into the game and we're proving we are doing that quite reasonably well.

''In the future, I've always said international football would be interesting for me after doing it with England.

''And who is to say that at some stage in some way, shape or form in the future going back into mainstream management is not something I am saying no to.

''But at this moment of time I am quite happy with the development of the academy and I need to sort of push that through over the next season.''

When asked to clarify whether he would be interested in the post, he responded: ''At the moment I don't think the timing is right, put it that way.''