THE FORMER Republic of Ireland manager, Jack Charlton, has rejected an offer to become Director of Football at first division strugglers Grimsby.

The club's chairman, Bill Carr, said yesterday that 61 year old Charlton was first approached a fortnight ago, but after much thought had now opted to stay out of the game, left the Republic job after a decade in charge last year.

Grimsby dismissed previous manager Brian Laws more than a month ago and now have Kenny Swain in temporary charge, but admit they have delayed a permanent appointment in the hope Charlton might agree a move.

"We approached Jack Charlton and asked him if he would become the club's Director of Football, but he said he did not want the day to day pressure of running a club again," Carr told the Grimsby Evening Telegraph.

"We approached him a couple of weeks ago and he came back to, us late last week with his decision. We approached him through Lawrie McMenemy who has been very helpful in this matter."

McMenemy, a one time manager of Grimsby himself and now Director of Football at Southampton, had talks with Charlton on behalf of the Blundell Park club, but was unable to persuade him, out of retirement.

Carr added: "We won't be letting the managerial situation as it is currently go on too long, but these things take time.

Charlton, a 1966 World Cup winner with England while a player at Leeds, managed Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sheffield Wednesday before being appointed as the Republic boss in 1986.

. The Republic of Ireland and Middlesbrough striker, Alan Moore, will be out of action for up to four weeks after tearing a hamstring in his side's 2-0 home defeat against Leicester on Tuesday night.