FORMER Middlesbrough and Sunderland striker Stan Cummins is kicking himself over his decision not to sign for Newcastle and join the select band of players to have worn the shirts of the North-East 's "big-three" clubs.

For the little Teessider believes that if he had chosen to move to Tyneside instead of joining Crystal Palace he would now have been involved in football management.

Now 41, Cummins is in charge of eight highly-successful teams in Kansas City - but he would give anything to become a football manager in England.

He said: "I was offered a three-year contract by Arthur Cox and I would have been playing alongside Kevin Keegan.

"I'm sure if I'd accepted my career would have taken a completely different direction and I would have been involved in the management side by now. I've written after lots of jobs but so far no-one has been willing to give me a chance.

"But I know that if I was given the opportunity I could be a successful manager."

Cummins was a crowd favourite at Ayrsome Park and was equally admired when he moved to Roker Park for a then record £300,000 when Ken Knighton was in charge at Sunderland.

But a contract blunder allowed him to leave on a free transfer in the summer of 1983 and Cox quickly came knocking at his door with an attractive offer.

Cummins, however, opted for Crystal Palace, a move which never worked out for him and, after a brief return to Sunderland, he finished his career in the United States, playing for Minnesota Strikers.

"Looking back I wish I'd joined Newcastle United," he said.

"I could have had a three-year contract and I would have been in the same team as Kevin Keegan.

"I'm sure that if I'd worked with Cox and Keegan I would have been involved in coaching now.

"But I chose Crystal Palace - a decision I deeply regret now - and Newcastle went for Peter Beardsley instead.

"Peter was involved in the coaching side with England and now I hear he's after a manager's job. I wonder if he knows that he only got his chance at Newcastle because I turned them down?"

Cummins has applied for eight jobs - including Sunderland - but apart from receiving letters of acknowledgement from club chairmen he's never been given an interview. But he intends to keep on trying.

He said: "I see a lot of my old buddies getting jobs in management but I can't get a sniff.

"Football is my life and I know I could do a good job as a coach.

"I've been in the game for 25 years as a player and I have played with the best and have worked under some top managers. I've coached at the highest level in the States and I know I could return to English football and be successful.

"All it needs is a club chairman who is bold enough to give me the chance to show what I can do.

"I'm sure that I could go into one of the struggling clubs and turn it around."

Cummins is returning to his native North-East in January to visit his mother at the family home in Sedgefield.

He said: "I'll be back home for three weeks and I'll be looking up some of my friends in the game.