Kevin Keegan believes Sven-Goran Eriksson will need to call on all his experience if he is to make a success of the England job.

Eriksson's predecessor resigned as coach minutes after the end of England's World Cup qualifying defeat by Germany at Wembley last October.

Four days later England could only draw in Helsinki and, as the new coach prepares for the visit of Finland to Anfield tomorrow for his first competitive match in charge, Keegan warned just how tough the job can be.

''All I want to do is wish Sven-Goran Eriksson all the best,'' said Keegan. ''The players are good enough that's for sure.

"He is a top class coach, he has got a lot of experience and he will need all of that at that level because it is a tough job.

''Whereas I am going grey, he might lose a little bit more (hair)!''

Keegan will be spending tomorrow afternoon at the race track close to where he grew up in Doncaster and will ''try to catch as much as I can'' of the World Cup qualifier.

He praised the new coach for the 3-0 friendly victory over Spain in his first match in charge and insisted his enthusiasm for the fortunes of his country is undimmed despite his abortive managerial reign.

''Sven has obviously got a tremendous knowledge of European football,'' added Keegan.

''I've always been an England supporter. I grew up loving England, I played for England and I have always wanted them to do well.''

Keegan offered the broadest possible hint that he will not be applying for the vacant manager's job at Tottenham.

Speaking at Doncaster racecourse where he was enjoying the first day of the Lincoln meeting, Keegan said: ''I've never applied for a job in football in my life.

''I am just enjoying spending time with my family and in my new job (with Randombet.Com).

''When I went to Newcastle and Fulham I was directly approached. Mr Al Fayed (Fulham's owner) asked me if I thought that I could make Fulham into a big club and I said I could.

"If my future is to be managing a team then so be it but if I have to spend the next 20 years in business then so be it.''