Curbishley set for new England talks

Alan Curbishley is to renew talks with the Football Association over his involvement in the England set-up at the end the of the season.

The Charlton manager's chances of becoming involved with the international set-up have increased after Manchester United told the FA that Steve McClaren would be stepping down from the England ranks in the summer.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson announced last week that he wanted McClaren and Leicester manager Peter Taylor to stay on board. The FA are prepared to try to broker a new arrangement with United and Taylor but Sir Alex Ferguson has made it clear McClaren will concentrate solely on club duties once the season is over.

The FA previously approached Curbishley about a role within the England camp before Eriksson's arrival.

However, Charlton postponed any talks about Curbishley's involvement in a coaching capacity until Eriksson, who watched their impressive 2-0 home victory over Taylor's Leicester at the Valley yesterday, was finally installed as England coach.

Curbishley said: "The club were approached before Mr Eriksson took over and the situation was that perhaps he wasn't going to turn up until the summer.

"It dragged on a bit and the club felt there was too much speculation and nothing much was happening, so we decided to call it a day and we'd talk about it in the summer.

"My chairman said that it wouldn't be discussed until the summer, and we'll wait and see what happens then." Eriksson must have been impressed with the way Charlton dismissed City's challenge with a goal in each half from Andy Todd and Shaun Bartlett.

Bartlett's decisive strike was immediately hailed as a candidate for the goal of the season as he delivered a stunning left-foot volley from Graham Stuart's pin-point cross.

The South African striker remains on loan from FC Zurich until the end of the season but he told Standard Sport that he believes he will be at Charlton next season despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.

Curbishley is reticent to say just when they will make a £2 million offer for Bartlett's services but Bartlett said: "I am more than happy at Charlton and would be delighted to sign for the club. I am still in the dark as to whether they are going to sign me or not.

"I have signed for Charlton until the end of the season so I have given them time to decide. But Alan Curbishley has been talking about next season to me so it has given me an idea that they intend to sign me.

"They need to sort something out with my club in Switzerland and Zurich need to let me go because they are desperate for money." Curbishley confirmed that a deal was likely but claimed it was now up to the board to take the next step.

He said: "We have spoken to his club and we are trying to do something but we have taken the decision in light of the current transfer market to wait. I like to think he is one of our players.

"One concern is that South Africa's World Cup games will fall in line with our domestic fixtures, and he may miss a third of our season. But once our chairman is ready to sign the cheque it will be done."

Meanwhile, Charlton's England Under-21 international Scott Parker has signed a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2005.