Souness rules himself out of Scotland running as pressure on Burley intensifies

Published on Monday 16 November 2009 10:53

GRAEME Souness has ruled himself out of the running to replace George Burley as Scotland manager.

• Graeme Souness at the Scottish Football Hall of Fame event last night

Burley is expected to lose his job this week after Saturday's 3-0 friendly defeat by Wales in Cardiff.

Souness was interviewed by the Scottish Football Association before Burley was appointed in January 2008 but he has since lost interest in the post.

The former Rangers boss, who has been out of football management since leaving Newcastle in February 2006, said: "It's not up for grabs as we speak.

"If it was up for grabs next week, next month or a year from now, I wouldn't be applying for it.

"I don't want the job. I wouldn't want the job. It's not for me at this time, my life is going in a different direction."

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The SFA board will meet this week to discuss Burley's position but Souness believes any Scotland manager would struggle with the current squad.

"You could have Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson managing that group of players, but the outcome wouldn't be much different," Souness told Sky Sports News.

"It is (a difficult job) in the current climate simply because they don't have the quality.

"As a Scottish manager you can't go out and buy players. You're working with a group of players that the country has produced at that particular time."

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies was the 3/1 favourite to succeed Burley with Ladbrokes this morning, ahead of Walter Smith, Craig Levein and Jimmy Calderwood.