The 71-year-old coach - has ruled out a full-time move from the UK to look after a league side in Europe but likes the idea of taking an approach like current England boss Thomas Tuchel, who can "spend a lot of" time in his native Germany.

Sam - who spent just 67 days and one match in charge of England in 2016 - told Mail Sport: "'I don't think the family, having supported me all my life, want me to do that anymore. They don't want to pack up and go.

"Maybe an international job where you don't have to be there 24/7, 365 days a year. I'm told Mr. Tuchel spends a lot of time back in Germany. That might be an opportunity."

Sam has been out of management since his ill-fated tenure at Leeds ended after just four games in 2023, and while he's open to getting back to work, he isn't actively pursuing a job.

He said: "If I pop up on a club's radar, I'd be more than happy to have a chat,' he says. I haven't had any conversations. I'm not ringing everybody up saying '"Give me that job.' "

Sam faced criticsm for his team's style of play while in charge at Bolton Wanderers from 1999–2007 and he thinks that, particularly in the latter part of his stint, the side were "labelled unfairtly".

He said: 'We were brilliant at Bolton. We were labelled unfairly in the end. In the beginning, to stay in the Premier League, we had to play a certain way more often than not.

"But we improved the team with world-class players. Not Premier League-class, but world-class. It was a big insult to them by most media outlets that they still called us long-ball. What an absolute disgrace.

"Unfortunately everywhere after that was just the same, a tedious response. Same old, same old. Non-thinkers didn't know what had changed, but I never played the same way at any two clubs."