Curbishley 'won’t be joining City'

JONATHAN REDHEAD

Early fans' favourite Alan Curbishley would not be tempted to return to football management with Norwich City according to sources close to him.

The ex-Charlton Athletic boss and candidate for the England job earlier this year, is on a sabbatical from football and visiting relatives in New Zealand after leaving the Valley last season.

The 48-year-old is thought to be a close friend of Delia Smith's, and having turned the Addicks into an established Premiership side, is seen by many as the ideal replacement for Nigel Worthington.

Bookmakers fancy Curbishley's chances of landing the City job and there were rumours he was at Carrow Road on Sunday to see the Burnley game, although chief executive Neil Doncaster played them down.

“I don't believe he was here - I think he was in New Zealand,” he said.

But today, a source close to Curbishley, who was boss at Charlton for 15 years, said he is holding out for a management return to the Premiership.

He added Curbishley is probably keeping an eye on events at West Ham as pressure mounts on manager Alan Pardew amid poor results and talks over a possible club takeover.

The former West Ham midfielder would jump at the chance of taking control of the Hammers should the chance arise.

But speculation, linking him to City, and managerless West Brom and Leeds, his future will be undecided for at least another two weeks.

Yesterday he told BBC Radio Leeds: “I'm flattered by the interest, but I'm not available for work for another fortnight.”

Meanwhile, former Middlesbrough boss, and ex-England captain, Bryan Robson, who left West Brom last month, says he wants a quick management return and would talk to the Canaries and Leeds.

“With my track record at Middlesbrough and West Brom, if people want to get in touch then I will listen,” he told BBC Sport.