Wales manager Chris Coleman has insisted that he was never interested in the vacant managerial post at Crystal Palace.
Coleman was strongly linked with a return to Selhurst Park, where he spent five years as a player, but finally put an end to the speculation by extending his contract with Wales until 2016.
The 43-year-old insisted that his number one choice was always to stay on as Wales boss and revealed that he would prefer to manage abroad rather than make a return to the Premier League when he eventually leaves his current post.
"There was no temptation to go to Palace, there was no approach. That was because I had five years with Palace as a player and I enjoyed my time there. Everybody thinks if you are a coach you want to work in the Premier League. Financially and with the media coverage it is seen as the best league in the world," Coleman told reporters.
"I have had five years in the Premier League with Fulham, it's a great league. I don't have any aspirations to work in the Premier League right now. When my time is up with Wales, whenever that is, I would prefer to work abroad again. I learnt more working abroad as a coach.
"But the Wales job is bigger than any other job I will do, I will never get more responsibility. I've done it for two years now and it's been hard, but when you win then the rewards are fantastic. I don't want to hand that feeling on to someone else. I want to finish what I started with these players."
Coleman will now lead Wales into the qualification campaign for the 2016 European Championships.
Barney Corkhill
