Euro 2016: Chris Coleman readies Wales for date with destiny after ruling himself out of England running

Coleman says he only has eyes for Wales on the international stage as they gear up for semi-final clash with Portugal

Chris Coleman says he will never manage England if the opportunity presented itself (Getty)

The Wales manager Chris Coleman declared on Sunday night that he would never contemplate managing England, despite taking his nation to a European Championship semi-final against Portugal.

England’s Football Association, who are prepared to pay £4m Premier League wages to recruit their next manager. But £400,000-a-year Coleman said that taking on the job was “something that would never, ever enter my thinking to be honest. I'm a Welshman through and through. I've only ever wanted, at international football, it was only Wales, it would only ever be Wales.”

Coleman’s side are the tournament’s top scorers and have won more knock-out ties in Euro 2016 than England have mustered in the entire past 20 years. But when asked if he would be willing to offer advice to the FA when this competition is finished, the 46-year-old avoided a straight answer. “The English FA?” he said. “Do you know what, I’ve no idea what’s going on back at home. I’ve no idea.” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is the top choice managerial candidate for England, though is thought to be unconvinced that the job holds appeal.

Wales face the double blow of being without Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey and Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies against the Portuguese in Lyon, for a game which may break Welsh all-time record TV viewing figures for the second time in five days. A record 1.26m in Wales – more than a third of the country’s population - watched Friday’s 3-1 quarter final win over Belgium.

Crystal Palace’s Jonny Williams is thought to be marginally ahead of Leicester City’s Andy King to replace Ramsey. Coleman is considering reshuffling personnel to cope with Davies’ absence – bringing in Fulham’s Jazz Richards at right back and freeing Chris Gunter to fill Davies’ role at centre half. But West Ham United’s James Collins is also in contention for the central defensive role.

Coleman said it was unjust that his players were booked when Belgium’s Eden Hazard was not. “Eden Hazard gets the ball and starts bouncing it with his hand and doesn’t get a yellow card,” Coleman said. “It is what it is. We just have to do our job.”

Coleman – whose side’s 10-goal tally is the most by Home Nations country since England scored 11 in their 1966 World Cup campaign – said he would probably need to manage abroad to fulfil his ambitions beyond Wales.

“My next job after Wales, whenever that is, will be somewhere I think, maybe abroad. I've never really been shy in saying that. I quite fancy the chance of going abroad again, because I think that's my best chance of managing Champions League football. Because if we're being honest, Champions League football in the Premier League, you're talking about the top, big, massive clubs, it's not something I think I'd get linked with.”

Portugal will be without Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder William Carvalho, who is also suspended, and Coleman offered a rousing message for the Welsh nation - promising that his players would not be cowed in Lyon, three days from now.

“You get game hardened - you really do,” he said. “And then you relish it. It’s incredibly tough it is. But your body gets used to it and your mind gets used to it. They are in a mode where they do not walk on a pitch expecting to win the next one but what they expect of each other is the very best of what they have got to offer.

“I can’t guarantee a result. Nobody can. But the longer you are together in tournament football - when it [becomes] fighting football, knock-out football - the more together you become. All the bonds have got better and tighter. The time for us to start reflecting on this tournament when it’s time to go home. The time is not now. It’s difficult for us not to stop and think but to stop and think about the past you stop going into the future.”