Gerry Francis that night put himself in the front line for the England manager’s job. The QPR boss, who has always ruled himself out of the running in the past, declared:
Gerry Francis said “I’ve got enough grey hairs but you can’t tell what is going to happen in the future. My contract ends in the summer and I’ve got a lot of options. Captaining England was the proudest thing in my career. I haven’t got my coaching badges yet but that is something that I will have to sort out.”
It is the clearest indication yet Francis is now considering applying for the job when Graham Taylor would go. With FA Chairman All Gower had publicly said that the decision to appoint a new manager was “imminent.”