MARIENFELD, June 30: Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari would not rule out being England manager one day, he said on Friday.

“I was proud to be invited to be trainer of England. After July 31 I am free and the Portuguese Football Federation is also free,” the Brazilian told a news conference.

“If one day I receive a proposal from the English Federation and if I do not have a contract with anyone, then we can speak about this. In the future, who knows?,” he said.

'Big Phil', as he is known in his native Brazil, pulled out of talks two months ago with the Football Association about becoming Sven-Goran Eriksson's successor after the finals.

Eriksson's assistant Steve McClaren, the former Middlesbrough manager, will take over from the Swede after the finals.

Scolari, whose contract with Portugal expires at the end of July, has broken records with the Portuguese and taken them to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 40 years.

His flamboyant, motivational style, not to mention his record -- his team have not lost a competitive match since their defeat by Greece in the Euro 2004 final -- has won hearts in Portugal where most people want him to extend his contract.

Scolari, however, would say very little about his future.

“The conditions exist (to renew his contract with Portugal), but this is a something to speak about afterwards,” he said.

“My contract is until July 31. Now I don't want to discuss anything with anybody. This is not the moment, nor do I have time to think about it. I only have time for the game against England and the possibility of reaching the last four.”

If Scolari's Portugal beat England in their quarter-final in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday, it would be a personal hat-trick.

He led Portugal when they knocked England out of the Euro 2004 quarter-finals 6-5 on penalties and was in charge of Brazil when they sent England home from the World Cup four years ago after beating them 2-1 in another quarter-final.—Reuters