MANCHESTER UNITED legend Mark Hughes is in talks over a new contract and is open to managing in the fifth tier, according to reports.
Hughes, 61, is head coach of Carlisle United, who were relegated to the National League after a defeat at Cheltenham Town last Saturday.
SunSport exclusively revealed in April that Hughes would be open to sticking with Carlisle in the fifth tier.
He told BBC Radio Cumbria this week that conversations were ongoing.
The Welshman replaced Mike Williamson in February on a rolling contract with aims to save Carlisle from the bottom League Two.
He said: “Just because I played for United and managed clubs like Manchester City, or led my country, doesn’t mean being in charge of a National League team would somehow be beneath me.”
Hughes couldn’t prevent relegation but oversaw a huge upturn in form.
Unfortunately it came too late.
He won the same number of matches in his 18 in charge as Carlisle did in their 32 games previous this season.
The 23rd-placed club are also the only one in the bottom three to have won in the final five games of the season, after triumphing twice in a row in that period.
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Carlisle is Wrexham-born Hughes’ ninth managerial stint, having bossed clubs such as Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and most recently Bradford.
His love for the role is not restricted to higher league success despite being a two-time Premier League winner as a Manchester United player.
“I showed how much I still love being a manager by going to Bradford,” he said.
“When you’ve been a manager as long as I have you just miss that buzz of standing on the touchline at three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon.”
In a press conference ahead of Carlisle’s final game of the season, Hughes indicated that he thinks a decision will happen “sooner rather than later.”
The Cumbrians ended their season with a hard-fought 2-2 home draw to Salford City, costing the visitors a play-off place.
