Chris Coleman confirms Wales manager bid

Chris Coleman is a former Wales captain

Chris Coleman has confirmed that he has applied for the Wales manager's job.

The former Fulham boss joins former Wales striker John Hartson and current caretaker Brian Flynn as confirmed candidates to succeed John Toshack.

"I've put the finishing touches to my CV and sent it off," Coleman told Friday's BBC Wales' Sport Wales show.

"So I have officially applied. You're talking about managing your country and I think that any football person is going to want that. I certainly do."

A six-man Football Association of Wales panel will appoint the new Wales manager to replace Toshack who departed the post in September following Wales' 1-0 loss in Montenegro.

Deadline for applications will be the first week of November with the new manager appointed before Christmas.

Wales youth guru Flynn and former Wales strikers Ian Rush and Hartson are also in the running to replace Toshack on a full-time basis.

We've got the England games next and I'm sure there'll be a strong squad for that Chris Coleman

Flynn was placed in temporary charge for Wales' following two Euro 2012 qualifiers, which ended in a 1-0 home defeat to Bulgaria and a 4-1 thumping in Switzerland.

Wales' next Group G encounter is at home to England in March but the Football Association of Wales want a permanent replacement for Toshack before their next competitive international which is their Nations Cup opener in Ireland on 8 February.

"The last two results were not the results that we were looking for," said Coleman, who also managed Real Sociedad in Spain and was sacked by Championship side Coventry City last May.

"We played some lovely football, there were some positives.

"But I just thought - and this is not a reflection on Brian Flynn as he was only there for two games or John before him because he had a lot of players missing - we looked like we were not hard to beat.

"It's never easy to go into a job like that and a team like that, that's lacking in confidence, lacking in quality because a lot of players are missing.

"So it was always going to be difficult for Brian. First and foremost we've got to start getting our best players back into the squad and not just for one or two games.

"We've got the England games next and I'm sure there'll be a strong squad for that. We've got to start getting our best players in the squad on a consistent basis."

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has said that it is too early in his career to consider managing Wales at the moment.

And Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, Millwall manager Kenny Jackett and new Sheffield United chief Gary Speed have ruled themselves out of the job.