KEY POINTS

  • The 66-year-old Frenchman still has 12 months to run on his contract at the Emirates.
  • Wenger has insisted he will not leave the club before his deal expires.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has suggested he is open to the possibility of managing England. The 66-year-old Frenchman has helmed the North London club since 1996, but has admitted he would consider accepting the Three Lions job.

Wenger currently has 12 months to run on his Arsenal contract and has repeatedly insisted he will honour that commitment. Longer-term, however, Wenger has admitted his future is less certain – and suggested he could be tempted by an offer from the Football Association (FA).

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"Could I manage England, why not? I would never rule that out, but I am happy and focused in club football," the Arsenal boss told beIN Sports. "England is my second country.

"I have one more year to go with Arsenal and I have been with them for a long time. I have always respected all my contacts [throughout my career] and will continue to do that. What will I do after that? Honestly, I don't know."

The Arsenal manager also revealed he was shocked by England's elimination from Euro 2016 at the hands of minnows Iceland, who came from a goal down to defeat the Three Lions 2-1 in Nice. "I was absolutely on my knees when England went out against Iceland. I couldn't believe it," said Wenger, who has come under fire from some Arsenal fans in recent months.

"But when you watched the game you could sense, after 60 minutes, that the worst could happen. Did they panic or were they tired? I don't know, but England couldn't find an answer to what Iceland posed."

US boss Jurgen Klinsmann is currently the favourite to succeed Roy Hodgson as the next England boss. However, reports have suggested the FA are determined to appoint an English manager to the role, with the likes of Sam Allardyce, Eddie Howe and Glenn Hoddle having been mentioned.

FA technical director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Martin Glenn and David Gill, an FA board member, will meet this week to make a decision and outline their plan to sign their preferred candidate. The new manager could be in place in time for England's World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on 4 September.

Arsene Wenger