Scolari talks up England hopes

The Brazilian World Cup winning coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, yesterday launched a remarkable bid to become the next England manager when he spoke live on BBC radio about his availability after the World Cup finals and allayed fears about his command of the English language.

Previous attempts to cajole the gruff 57-year-old, currently manager of the Portugal national team, into speaking English have proved unsuccessful but, in what appeared to be the beginning of a campaign to land the job, Scolari gave a confident interview to BBC Radio Five's Sportsweek programme.

Admitting that he "liked the [England] job", Scolari said that it would take him just "two to three months" to brush up on his English and acquaint himself with the players.

Scolari's contract with Portugal expires in July after the World Cup finals and he left no doubt that he is interested in England.

"I'm a good coach, I made [sic] in Portugal a very good job, you know?" he said.

"I like the [England] job, yes, yes. But I know if I want to go in England national team I need to learn the language more and I need to know more about the team, about the job. After this it is possible to say something about the possibility."

Meanwhile, the Bolton Wanderers manager, Sam Allardyce, has also finally admitted his interest in the role. The 51-year-old said: "I would love the opportunity to be interviewed for the position."