(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-12-11 09:52

LISBON - Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho ruled himself out for the vacant job as England coach on Monday.

Chelsea soccer team head coach Jose Mourinho answers a question during a news conference at the Chelsea training ground, Cobham, England in this Wednesday May 16, 2007 file photo. Jose Mourinho has decided he does not want to become England soccer coach. The former Chelsea manager issued a statement on Monday that, after talks with Football Association officials Brian Barwick and Trevor Brooking, he had decided not to apply for the job. [Agencies]

"After deep and serious thinking I decided to exclude myself from being England manager despite it being a fantastic position for me," Mourinho said in a statement published on the Web site of Gestifute (www.gestifute.com), his Portuguese agents.

England began the search for a coach following Steve McClaren's sacking after last month's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

Captain of England John Terry said last week that Mourinho, his former manager at Chelsea, would be the best choice to replace McClaren, saying the Portuguese "could make a big difference".

But Mourinho thought otherwise, even though his representatives had contact with the Football Association (FA) after McClaren's departure.

"I'm sure the FA will hire a great manager, one able to place the team back where it belongs," Mourinho said in the statement.

"I reiterate my respect for English football and, after three years in England, I firmly believe the England squad will soon be back to their usual great results."

Mourinho has been resting at home in Setubal since leaving Chelsea by mutual consent in September.

He has given no indication of his next career move.

McClaren replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson after last year's World Cup finals in Germany but his reign was doomed after England lost 3-2 to Croatia at Wembley and failed to qualify for Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.

FA chief executive Brian Barwick and head of soccer development Trevor Brooking have been charged with finding a new manager and have been canvassing opinion from leading figures in the game.

Mourinho had been one of the three favourites, along with Italian frontrunner Fabio Capello and his compatriot Marcello Lippi, who won the 2006 World Cup with Italy.

Capello has expressed an interest in the job while Lippi told BBC sport on Monday he had had "no contact at all" with the FA.

Other names in the frame include former Germany striker and World Cup coach Juergen Klinsmann, Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill and former England forward Alan Shearer.