Sir Alex Ferguson turned down England job twice

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he turned down the position of England manager twice during his career.

The 71-year-old released his widely-anticipated autobiography today and one of the many revelations regarded the job of coaching England, which he was offered once in 1999 and again in 2000.

He said of the opportunity: "There was no way I could contemplate that. It wasn't a bed of nails I was ever tempted to lie on."

Ferguson was also asked at a press conference for the book's unveiling whether he is considering taking the job of Australia manager, which he was recently encouraged to take.

The Scot insisted that his retirement as Manchester United manager was his full retirement from the game.