Terry Venables was Thursday contemplating an offer to step into the hotseat at troubled Newcastle, who have been managerless since Kevin Keegan s abrupt departure earlier this month.
With the club up for sale by owner Mike Ashley, Venables is reported to have been offered the chance to come in as a caretaker manager.
Venables confirmed to The Sun newspaper, for whom he writes a column, that he had been in talks with the St James hierarchy and said he would make a decision on Thursday about whether to get involved.
I can confirm I met Newcastle representatives, Venables said. Those talks will continue in the morning when, hopefully, I can give them a final decision.
Former England, Tottenham and Barcelona boss Venables was one of the leading candidates to become Newcastle manager when Bobby Robson was sacked in 2004, although the club s then-owners eventually plumped for Graeme Souness.
He also has experience of working in the north-east of England having helped Middlesbrough avoid relegation in 2002 after being brought in to help Bryan Robson manage the side.
A similar salvage operation is required at Newcastle, who are currently second from bottom of the Premier League and were dumped out of the League Cup on Wednesday night following a 2-1 defeat at home to Tottenham.
That match was watched by 20,577 people, the club s lowest crowd in 16 years, which will not have helped Ashley s hopes of a quick sale.
Consortiums from China and Nigeria are reported to be considering bids but there has been no indication that anyone is willing to meet Ashley s asking price of more than 400 million pounds.
Venables last job was as a part-time assistant to former England boss Steve McClaren. That role came to an end when McClaren was sacked in November of last year following England s failure to reach Euro 2008.
