Souness rules out Bolton job
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has confirmed Graeme Souness is not interested in succeeding Sammy Lee as manager.
The former Rangers and Liverpool boss was high on a list of potential candidates and was interviewed by Gartside last week following Lee's departure from the Reebok Stadium.
"Graeme Souness was a candidate on our target list and he has now decided to remove himself from the interview process," said Gartside. "Having interviewed him last week, I know he would have been an exceptional candidate for the role."
He added: "However, I respect Graeme's decision to pull out of the process and I wish him well for the future."
The news is a blow to Bolton, although Souness is only one of a number of names to be linked with the job.
Gartside has been denied permission to speak with Real Sociedad's former Fulham manager Chris Coleman, while Leicester's Gary Megson, another man the Trotters chief rates highly, has been declared off limits by his chairman Milan Mandaric.
With Paul Jewell not interested either, the vacancy seems unlikely to be filled before Sunday's Premier League encounter with Aston Villa.
Certainly, stand-in Archie Knox, who took charge for Saturday's defeat at Arsenal, will remain at the helm when Bolton open their UEFA Cup campaign against Braga on Thursday.
