Clough hungers for Wolves job

Wolverhampton Wanderers' search for a new manager in the aftermath of Graham Taylor's resignation took a turn they would not have dreamed of yesterday when Brian Clough announced he was interested in the vacancy, writes Guy Hodgson.

The self-styled Old Big 'Ed made this surprise attempt to return to football via a telephone call to a Nottingham news agency. "They [the FA] would not give me the chance of preceding or following Graham Taylor as manager of England," he said, "but I would not mind succeeding him at Wolves."

Clough, 60, the only man other than Kenny Dalglish and Herbert Chapman to win the English championship with different clubs, resigned from Nottingham Forest two and and a half years ago and has since had little or no involvement in the game. He writes a column for a Sunday newspaper but is believed to have attended only one live game since leaving the City Ground, a reserve match between Forest and Derby.

Wolves, who were making no comment on Clough's announcement last night, can cross two candidates off their list: Ron Atkinson and Gordon Strachan insist they are staying with Coventry.