Arsene Wenger can be considered as a top priority for England Managerial position. It came after in his 20 years career he has done charismatic things for his team.
It is just a shame the Arsenal stars who were so reluctant to embrace the shabby former economics student in 1996 are just as reticent about allowing him to leave their beloved club.
Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Wenger taking the reins at Highbury - the delay in his appointment caused by his determination to see out his contract at Grampus Eight.
Ironically, that is the same contractual loyalty that will make the FA nervous about approaching him again in the wake of Sam Allardyce's departure this week.
With Gareth Southgate set to take charge of the four internationals remaining this autumn, though, it leaves just one match in March to worry about before Wenger finally is available - provided he does not extend his tenure at Arsenal deeper into a third decade.
Thankfully, this timely nostalgia surrounding Wenger's personal landmark should remind the FA why they need to be as bold as Arsenal chief executive David Dein was all those years ago to get their man.
"It was weird because we had never heard of him, obviously," Ian Wright told BBC's Premier League Show last night. "The papers were all, 'Arsene Who?'
"When you saw him he looked really strange, this really tall, skinny guy with massive glasses, ill-fitting suit, his shirt looked big, everything looked weird - he didn't look like a football man at all.
"When I first saw him, I did up-and-down him, but obviously after that you started to realise what he was all about, as soon as he opened his mouth."
Ultimately, it was Wenger's actions which spoke louder than any words, culminating in the remarkable Invincible year of 2003-2004.
Going unbeaten was an aspirational target that had not even been considered for 115 years but Martin Keown revealed he had spoken about it the season before, only to come unstuck in game 10.
The story showed Wenger is not afraid to set his targets high - although the problem for many Arsenal fans is that, after 2004, financial aims held sway over on-the-field ones. From a footballing perspective, Wright even went so far as to say he went "soft".
"When Thierry Henry left and went on to Barcelona to win the Champions League that was literally saying to the Arsenal players, you are not going to win the Champions League," he said. "That made me sad that it had to happen.
"Then for Robin Van Persie to go to Manchester United and for them to win the league with his goals... Somewhere along the line, Wenger got soft on that."
However, as an England manager there is no transfer market for Wenger to be questioned over. Winning football matches would be his only priority.
So if he believed that England could win that elusive major trophy - and he has always spoken highly of his adopted nation's chances - there is a good chance that they will.
Wenger's methods may not be as revolutionary as when he arrived on these shores, but his man-management skills remain as strong as ever - a common theme in the tributes this week.
"He never raised his voice," Ian Wright continued. "Remember the first game against Blackburn, he came in and never spoke for 10 minutes. That was the strangest thing."
"That was at half-time," said Martin Keown, taking up the narrative. "Most managers come in and they like the sound of their own voice. There is always this speech. He just wanted calm.
"He was very clever. He allowed us to police it the first couple of minutes. Then he would pick out something that he felt could change the game."
That is the motivational force England need in their dressing room. That self-assured belief, projected onto the players.
So it is ironic that Wright does not have that same confidence that his former boss would be a success.
"I wouldn't want to see Wenger get the England job because I wouldn't want to see the stick that he would get if it didn't go right for him," Wright admitted earlier this week.
But why such negativity? Wright may have considered Wenger literally ill-suited for his Arsenal debut, but his appointment as England manager might just be the perfect fit.
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