SAM Allardyce says he would not be tempted to return to management in the Championship.

It was claimed by bookmakers Paddy Power that a punter tried to make a six-figure bet on the former Wanderers boss to be the next manager of Norwich City.

The Canaries are not in the market for a new manager, with head coach Daniel Farke currently comfortable in the post and his team sitting just outside the play-off spots.

But prompted by the story, Allardyce spoke on Talksport about what circumstances would prompt him to consider a job outside the top flight, should one come his way.

“Obviously everybody prefers to work at the top if they can,” he said. “If there’s enough encouragement from a club in the Championship, where you’re going to be able to compete against the wealthier clubs in the Championship, then you think you can get promoted very quickly.

“I did it at West Ham and that was a great journey but it’s an arduous journey, with the 46 games and everybody striving to get out of there.

“So if you’ve got the right talent on the field and you get the right infrastructure off it and the bosses are pushing in the right way – and I’m not sure how easy it is to fund a promotion now because of the Financial Fair Play rules in the Championship – then you’d maybe give it a go.

“But certainly the Premier League would appeal to me more than anything else, if I was going to go back anywhere.”

Allardyce took Wanderers out of the second tier at the start of the millennium via the play-offs and did the same with West Ham United in 2012. He has been out of work, however, since leaving Everton in May.

He has since done media and charity work and has hinted that he would be prepared to return to the dugout if the right offer came along. But Allardyce remains unconvinced about the vacant spot at Aston Villa following the sacking of Steve Bruce earlier this month.

“I’m not too sure whether I’d fancy the Villa job at the moment,” he added. “I’m watching football, travelling the world.

“I suppose if there’s contact, like everybody else I would talk to them.”

Asked what foreign posts had been offered to him, the 62-year-old added: “Only China and at the moment I don’t really fancy leaving the family, I’ve done that an awful lot in my life as a footballer and at this stage of my life it’s not something I’m going to do.

“Everyone knows how great the money is but for me it’s not just about the money, it’s the standard and where you’re going to live as well as manage – and at the moment China wouldn’t appeal to me.”