Fabio Capello, the manager of Roma and one of the reported contenders to succeed Alex Ferguson at Manchester United next summer, spoke at the weekend of his willingness to be linked to the vacancy.

"If I'm taken into consideration for the job then I'm pleased," said Capello, 55. "All coaches aspire to great clubs and Manchester United are a great club; maybe, along with Real Madrid, they are the greatest club in the world."

His contract at Roma does not expire until June 2003 and the club president Franco Sensi is working to extend it, so perhaps Capello - who has also been linked to Real Madrid - was merely being polite or mischievous. But he added: "Having worked in Spain and a great deal in Italy, to close my career in England and learn to speak English well would be good."

There has been no approach from Old Trafford but with Bayern Munich's Ottmar Hitzfeld believed to have told United that he will not be available - he is waiting for the German national job - Capello has become prominent on a shortlist of potential successors.

David O'Leary, Martin O'Neill and Arsene Wenger are managers in Britain admired by Ferguson, who will have a say in the choice.