Ex-Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson: 'England were overrated'

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he never considered managing England because hype surrounding the team makes it "an impossible job".

The Scot claimed in his 2013 autobiography that he was offered the role in 1999 before Kevin Keegan took charge and again in 2001 prior to Sven-Goran Eriksson's appointment, but immediately rejected both opportunities to continue as United boss.

Ferguson has suggested that he did not want to deal with the expectation that is placed upon the shoulders of an England manager.

"One: it's an impossible job — the pressure on the England manager is huge," he told BBC Sport.

"Every competition, for some reason the press make them favourites, or one of the favourites, and to my mind they have never been favourites.

"The fans also get lit up by the press observations. The huge army of fans they take to the World Cup or the European Championships is fantastic but brings pressure."

Ferguson, who managed Scotland at the 1986 World Cup, remained in charge of United until his retirement in 2013.