Gerard Houllier to manage only on doctors' orders

Gerard Houllier has hinted that he may return to management if doctors tell him it will have no impact on his health.

Houllier, 63, left Aston Villa in June after suffering health problems which ruled him out of the final five games of last season. Assistant Gary McAllister took over, guiding the side to a ninth-place finish.

He told Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme that football "is my oxygen and if I have to be involved in another way then I will".

"But I will follow doctors' advice and if the advice is not to get back into management, I won't," he said.

The Frenchman had suffered from health issues during his time as Liverpool manager, requiring open heart surgery in 2001 after he fell ill at half-time during a game against Leeds United.