Former Reading and Leeds manager Brian McDermott says he dreams of managing the Republic of Ireland.

The English-born former Arsenal midfielder's father hails from Co Sligo and his mother from Co Clare. In comments made in Michael Calvin's new book, Living on the Volcano, The Secrets of Surviving as a Football Manager, McDermott says: "I never played for Ireland, which I should have done. Don Howe [former Arsenal boss] suggested I play for England under-17s. I wasn’t English, though I was born in Slough; I was Irish. 

"Don was the big man at Arsenal at the time. I had no confidence and just went along with it, almost to protect myself. Dad was worried about upsetting anyone. That’s a real driver for me now. My life goal is to manage Ireland."

McDermott managed Leeds between 2009 and 2013, earning promotion to the Premier League in 2012. His time at Leeds was cut short last year after the Massimo Cellino takeover, while he has most recently served as a scout for former club Arsenal.

Read more extracts from the book via the Irish Examiner.