LONDON (AFP) - Mick McCarthy, the manager of English Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers, on Wednesday ruled himself out of the running to become the next coach of South Korea's national team.

McCarthy had been named by the Korean FA on a two-man short-list for the vacancy, along with former Lyon and Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier.

But, in a statement on his club's website, McCarthy said he had decided to stay at Wolves.

"I was very flattered to be contacted and to be considered a candidate alongside someone of the calibre of Gerard Houllier," said McCarthy, who has previously coached Sunderland and the Ireland national team.

"But I have always been committed to the job at Wolves. I love it here and, having spoken to (Wolves owner) Steve Morgan, I made it clear I'm staying."

In contrast, Houllier, who is now technical director of the French Football Federation, hinted that he was considering taking on the South Korea job.

"I'm technical director for the moment," Houllier said on Wednesday. "It is an interesting challenge and there is lots of work to do here. For the future, we'll see."

Korean FA spokesman You Young-Cheul had earlier told AFP that a decision on the new head coach would probably be made on Friday.

The KFA is looking for a foreign coach to succeed Dutchman Pim Verbeek, who resigned in July after South Korea's third-place finish in the Asian Cup.

According to the Korean media, a salary of around one billion won (1.1 million dollars) a year is on offer to Verbeek's successor, who will be charged with leading the country to a seventh successive World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey meanwhile voiced his delight at McCarthy's decision not to follow up the interest from South Korea.

"He is totally committed to the club, the players, staff, supporters and the task at hand," Moxey said.

"When you have such a high quality manager there is always going to be a chance that someone else will be interested in signing them, but we are pleased to confirm to our supporters that it is business as usual at Molineux."

Wolves are currently in sixth place in the Championship, the second tier of English football, and chasing promotion to the Premier League.