West Ham United legend Paolo Di Canio admits he is after Alan Curbishley's job at Upton Park.
Di Canio has been playing for little Cisco Roma for the past two seasons and told the People: "I will take up managing next year. I hope to have the same success as a coach that a did as a player.
"I haven't been back for a few years but I hope to go and watch a match in the Bobby Moore Stand before the end of the season. It would be incredible to go there as a manager. Every weekend I watch all the English games on the TV but I have a special place for them in my heart for West Ham.
"I watched the game against Liverpool the other week with four friends, all Italian West Ham fans, and we celebrated when Mark Noble scored the penalty in the 94th minute.
"When I watch the Premiership I am always proud to see players that were young boys when I was at West Ham, like Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand.
"I saw them grow up into men. The standard in the Premiership was always good but these old West Ham players, Jermaine Defoe as well, stand out for me as the best English players."