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By Pete Oliver
MANCHESTER, England, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is ready to help the Football Association in their search for the next England manager.
Ferguson is among a list of leading football figures who will be sounded out by the FA in their quest to find the best man to replace Steve McClaren, who was sacked following England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
"I would try and help the situation. I think there will be plenty of people who have opinions and experience of maybe what's needed for the job," Ferguson told reporters on Friday.
"There will be a lot of people who want to help the situation because I think it's important to our game, that England get the right man to replace Steve and drive the team on."
Ferguson, a proud Scot who said the same would apply to Scotland as they look to replace Alex McLeish, added that the FA should be given every assistance in trying to solve a difficult problem.
He said: "It's not easy to get international managers. It's not an easy job and I've said time and time again that experience is important.
"It's not an easy selection process. They have to go through the procedure and I think the FA will be doing that and I think you (the media) should allow them to get on with it.
"You try and put your influence on it, who you think should be the manager and that can create a pressure in itself for the FA."
The FA's biggest problem would appear to be persuading their preferred candidates to take on the England post, with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho reported to be one of their targets.
"I think if Jose wanted it he would be a consideration and there quite a few who would be," Ferguson said.
"If Arsene Wenger said he is available and was interested he'd be a consideration and if I said I was interested it would be a consideration.
"It's about who wants the job and who has the qualifications for it."
