Former Ukraine star striker Andriy Shevchenko has been offered the job of national head coach, Ukraine’s Football Federation (FFU) chief Anatoly Konkov revealed yesterday.

“Shevchenko has experience of playing in great clubs such as Dynamo Kiev, Milan and Chelsea under the management of legendary coaches Valery Lobanovsky, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho,” Konkov told the ITAR-TASS news agency.

“He has a unique opportunity to adopt their methods, their knowledge and talents.”

The FFU chief, who once called Shevchenko into his under-21 and later Ukraine’s national squad, said that he considered the 36-year-old’s youth to be a “positive factor”.

“Just remember that unknown young coach Josep Guardiola (Barcelona) has achieved tremendous results in just several years,” Konkov said.

“I’m confident that Shevchenko is also capable of achieving serious heights as the national team’s manager. He has enough experience and character for it. The federation meanwhile will provide him with everything necessary to help him in his work.”

The position has been vacant since Oleg Blokhin’s departure for Dynamo Kiev.

Shevchenko won the Ukraine Premier League five times with Dynamo Kiev before moving to Milan where he won the Champions League and the Serie A before joining Chelsea in a £30 million move six years ago.

He failed to shine however at Stamford Bridge and had spells on loan at Milan and back at the club where he began his career before announcing last summer that he was quitting football for politics.

His Ukraine Forward! movement failed however to make it into parliament after collecting just a few per cent of the vote last month.

Although Ukraine drew 1-1 in England in their 2014 World Cup qualifiers, they also lost at home to Montenegro and drew with Moldova, leaving them second from bottom of Group H.