Rush still seeks Wales role

Ian Rush would still consider being a No 2 to whoever is finally appointed Wales manager and says he did not pull out of the running because he felt he could not compete with John Toshack's cv.

Ian Rush would still consider being a No 2 to whoever is finally appointed Wales manager and says he did not pull out of the running because he felt he could not compete with John Toshack's cv.

Reports that Toshack was in line for the Real Mallorca job have been dismissed in Spain, where Hector Cuper has now been appointed manager of the La Liga strugglers. A Real Mallorca source claimed Toshack was never in the running for the job as the club president, Mateo Alemany, always wanted Cuper for the post.

After pulling out of the Football Association of Wales' six-man shortlist to take over from Mark Hughes, Rush has sought to underline his position on the subject. The suggestion from the pro-Toshack camp is that Rush hoped Toshack would take another Spanish club job - he still lives in San Sebastian - and when Cuper was appointed instead, Rush felt he could not handle the competition.

Rush, the new Chester manager, denies that and has said: "What Toshack does is up to him, I want to make it clear I wasn't aware he was up for any other job. I simply made a decision that the job had come too early for me. Two years gaining experience at a club job would leave me better off in the long run.

"But if the new Wales manager, whoever he is, wants a No 2, I could possibly consider combining the two positions at Chester and with Wales." He added: "Wales has to be a long-term plan, from under-17 right through to the seniors and with more club experience I would be better equipped. It would one day be a dream come true for me, but not at the moment."

Rush's withdrawal, and the fact another of the three foreigners on the shortlist - the former Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat - has now been appointed the new coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach, means that Toshack has moved closer to getting the Wales post, largely because the opposition is disappearing. That has prompted calls for the former Wrexham manager Brian Flynn - surprisingly left off the original shortlist - to be given an interview.

Critics felt that the heavily pro-Toshack lobby on the FAW management committee had effectively ruled out one of the former Real Sociedad manager's main rivals by not including Flynn on a list of candidates to be interviewed.

Now the anti-Toshack faction on the FAW feel Flynn should be interviewed to give a viable opponent to Toshack. And it is understood Flynn has not been completely ruled out and that further informal discussions could take place.

Flynn said: "Immediately following the announcement that Mark Hughes would be leaving, I was contacted by a senior official at the Welsh FA to ascertain if I would be interested in taking over from him.

"Obviously, I said I would put my name forward and I was told the Welsh FA would be in touch with me following the game against Poland. Since then I have not had any contact."