Canada's World Cup qualifying coach John Herdman admits he has ambitions of taking charge of Newcastle United.

Originally a coach with Sunderland academy, Geordie Herdman has always been a Newcastle diehard.

"I'm focused on my day to day," he told Chronicle Live.

"Of course I'd harbour that dream of one day leading the club out at St James' Park to Local Hero. Which football manager born in the North East and not a Sunderland fan doesn't dream of that?

"It's always in the back of your mind but as a manager, you've just got to win your next game. That's all you think about! That's how we live and how we roll, unfortunately."

Herdman also revealed one motivation he's kept with him through his globetrotting career.

"I will never forget there was an ex-England player, who was at the time in the England youth coaching system, and I was coaching his son at Sunderland.

"I'll never forget him: he stopped me and he said: 'Look John, you're a really good teacher-coach. I wish I had the teaching skill you had but the one thing you'll never have is that experience of standing in a field in front of 60,000 people.'

"And he said: 'That's why you'll never get to the highest level.' It's always stuck in the back of my mind: my God, I want to prove you wrong. I won't name names but it's always stuck with me."