Dowie won't rule out City job

Iain Dowie today refused to rule himself out of the running for the manager's job at Manchester City.

His success with Crystal Palace has made him a leading candidate to take charge there in the summer after Kevin Keegan's departure and he would be open to offers.

City are searching for a replacement while trialling Stuart Pearce as caretaker and it is understood that the compensation "transfer fee" they would have to pay for Dowie would not be prohibitive.

The Crystal Palace manager has a volatile relationship with chairman Simon Jordan and his family are still based in the North West, so the City job has a lot of appeal for him.

Dowie said: "Whatever will come, what people say about me, good or bad, that won't affect what I am trying to do and that is to be the best manager I can. Wherever that takes me, it takes me.

"I have got no comment on any other job. I have got a massive job on my hands and that is Chelsea away on Saturday.

"It is always flattering to be linked but I cannot afford to be distracted. This is the business end of the season. Speculation happens and I cannot affect that."