O’Leary: I’d assist Arsene or Sir Alex

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Out-of-work ex-Leeds United and Aston Villa boss David O’Leary says he would consider returning to football as an assistant manager... but only if it was to Manchester United supremo Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger.   O’Leary has been out of the game since 2006 after leaving Aston Villa in acrimonious circumstances and said: “The only people who could take me as a number two would be an Alex Ferguson or an Arsene Wenger and I'd be back tomorrow.

"I don't want to be making out that my tongue is hanging out ass licking to get into a job. That's just not me.

“There are two clubs you would love to manage, Arsenal and Manchester United. One thing I knew from George Graham who is close to Alex Ferguson, Alex will nearly die in the job... if you know what I mean.”
 
O’Leary was in contention to be Sir Alex’s replacement at Old Trafford when he was close to retirement in 2002 and, speaking to the Daily Mail, admitted:

“It was great to take Alex on. He said for the first time he had a team that came to Old Trafford willing to take United on and play football, not putting 10 men behind the ball.”

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Gregg Davies
Gregg Davies

Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.