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BANGKOK, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Thailand's new coach Peter Reid said on Friday he hoped to instil a winning mentality in his players that would steer them to their first World Cup finals.
The former Manchester City, Sunderland and Leeds manager signed a four-year contract on Friday and pledged to boost the players' fitness and improve their standing on the international scene.
"I want to get the right mentality here and get Thailand up the world rankings," Reid told a packed news conference.
"When the next World Cup comes around, I need to build a team capable of competing and qualifying. It's all about hard work, the right attitude and mentality to be winners."
Thailand's mostly part-time players have dominated Southeast Asian soccer for decades but have struggled at a higher level.
Reid is the latest in a series of foreigners to take the notoriously difficult post, mostly with limited success.
The 52-year-old has promised to immerse himself in the local culture but admitted communicating with his players could be a problem.
"I'm from Liverpool, I can't even speak English very well," he joked. "I don't know if I can handle Thai."
