Managerial movesGerard Houllier has insisted that he is happy to stay on in his role as technical director of the French Football Federation, effectively distancing himself from the speculation linking him to the vacant national team manager jobs in England and Ireland.

"I'm very happy with what I'm doing in French football for now," said the former Liverpool and Lyon manager who went on to recall that he had been offered the role of technical director when Terry Venables was manager more than a decade ago.

"I got a call from Graham Kelly offering me the position, but I turned it down because I thought it was a job for an Englishman at the time," he said. "Things have changed a lot, but this is not the right time for me, either."

French Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes, meanwhile, also expressed confidence that Houllier would stay in his present role. "I've heard there are people who want Gerard with England but he has a mission with us," he said.

"His contract is not binding, but it is unimaginable that he would want to leave. He took this job when he could have earned far bigger salaries with clubs."

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho's adviser has rejected any notion the former Chelsea manager is using the English FA as a negotiating tool to land a massive club job in Europe.

Mourinho has emerged as the bookies' favourite to succeed Steve McClaren as England coach, with reports suggesting the FA could be prepared to pay £6 million a year to attract him.

So far, no contact has been made with Mourinho by FA chief executive Brian Barwick, who, along with director of football development Trevor Brooking, has been charged with the task of finding the next England coach.

Mourinho was at pains to avoid committing himself one way or another when a British TV crew arrived at his Portuguese home in Setubal but different sources close to the 46-year-old have offered widely differing views over his willingness to replace McClaren.

Some say he is keen on the job, others that he wants to stay in club management, with AC Milan emerging as a likely destination given their current poor form.

However, according to Mourinho's trusted adviser, Eladio Parames, there is no way he would use one job to get another. "That is all lies," he said. "Mourinho would never do that."

Parames later claimed Mourinho would "consider" any approach from the FA - but warned they must make the first move. "I'm sure he'd consider the offer," he said on Sky Sports News.

Mourinho has previously indicated a preference for a club job, but Parames said: "To be manager of England is not the same as being manager of another country. To be manager of England is a big job. It's a very, very interesting job."

Fabio Capello is another live candidate, having already declared his interest, while others such as Jurgen Klinsmann, Guus Hiddink, Marcello Lippi and Luiz Felipe Scolari continue to be discussed - as does Martin O'Neill, even though the Aston Villa boss has twice attempted to rule himself out of the running.