The Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, yesterday made it clear that he was not interested in Glenn Hoddle's England job. And his clear message for the English Football Association was that it would be a waste of time coming for him even if his under-fire protege walked out - or was pushed out.

Wenger has still not signed the new four-year Arsenal deal which has been on the table for him at Highbury for two months but insists it is a formality.

"I'm not interested in any national team job - especially the England one," he said.

"I don't see any benefits in it. The job is so sensitive and it is not coherent. How can you enjoy it? I have never been very keen on international football in any case.

"You get no time to build up any consistency and only a short time to change things because after practically every tournament like a World Cup it is nearly impossible to survive in the job.

"Look what happened this time. Half the national coaches have now gone and those who survived are all under pressure. Two bad games and you could be out - like Berti Vogts with Germany."

Wenger, who convinced Hoddle to take up management when he had the former Tottenham star as a player at AS Monaco in France, has seen his protege criticised since England's exit from France '98 - and the publication of Hoddle's controversial World Cup Diary.

Wenger said: "I'm sorry, of course, for what is happening to Glenn. I have respect for him as a player and a person but he has built his team of people around him with England and doesn't take advice from outside.

"I am like that at Arsenal. If I want advice I turn to people around me who know about the club, like Pat Rice, my assistant, who has been an Arsenal guy for many years."

And Wenger insists that Hoddle, on whom pressure has become even more fierce since England's defeat in Sweden last Saturday, was guilty only of naivety when he published his World Cup book while still England boss.

Wenger admitted he would personally only ever consider writing a similar type of book after retiring from the game but he insisted: "Knowing Glenn I don't think he could have imagined this book would have brought him so many controversial situations.