Les Ferdinand wants Rooney Rule

Queens Park Rangers director of football Les Ferdinand has urged the Football Association to introduce the Rooney Rule into the English game.

NFL teams are required to interview at least one minority candidate for each head coaching role in an effort to prevent a lack of diversity in the sport.

FA chairman Greg Dyke has previously stated that he would be open to such a system, and Ferdinand believes that it would help to tackle the dearth of minority managers currently operating at the top level.

"We're not saying you have to give anybody the job - we're just saying 'give us an interview' - that's all," the former England international told Sky Sports News.

"It's just a case of being able to sit down and put your credentials on the table. At the moment we're not even getting that chance. People often talk and say 'I'm not racist' and don't even realise that they are being racist because they won't give you that opportunity.

"You may have already decided who your next manager is going to be but if I sit down in front of you I might impress you so much that you might recommend me to someone else."

Previous suggestions of introducing the Rooney Rule have been rejected by both Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore and the League Managers' Association.