FORMER Burnley midfielder Brian Flynn believes the time is right to succeed Mark Hughes as manager of Wales.

Flynn has emerged as the front-runner to replace Hughes when the Blackburn Rovers manager steps down from the international scene tomorrow.

And almost a decade after first turning down the Welsh manager's job, Flynn insists he now has all the necessary credentials to take the reins and lead his country to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The former Wrexham and Swansea boss, who celebrates his 49th birthday today, revealed: "I have had contact with the Welsh Football Association and they have told me nothing will happen until after the Poland game on Wednesday.

"Obviously I would love the job though. I had the opportunity nine years ago, before Bobby Gould got the job, but I just felt it was too soon.

"I was managing Wrexham at the time and I was still learning in many ways. Now though, I have gained nearly 15 years worth of managerial experience and I know I could meet the challenge."

Flynn, Wrexham's longest serving manager with well over 600 games under his belt between 1989 and 2001, has been out of work since leaving Swansea by mutual consent in March 2004 following two years in charge.

The ex-Claret, who still lives in Burnley, was one of nine men on the shortlist to replace Stan Ternent at Turf Moor last summer, before Steve Cotterill was finally appointed manager.

And it was at Burnley as a raw 19-year-old where a glittering playing career truly became inextricably linked to Wales.

The former schoolboy and Welsh international won his first full cap within a year of making his Clarets debut, and went on to earn 66 caps - 33 in two spells with Burnley and, following a £175,000 transfer to Leeds inbetween, an identical number at Elland Road.

A move into management was inevitable and when then Wrexham manager Dixie McNeil resigned from the Racecourse Ground in October 1989, 18 months after signing Flynn, he finally got his chance.

In the ensuing 12-years, Flynn took the Robins into the European Cup Winners Cup three times and memorably, while lying 92nd in the Football League, masterminding the 1992 FA Cup third round victory over league champions Arsenal.

And it was during this eventful reign that he also cut his teeth with the Welsh managerial set up.

"Wales has always been a massive part of my life," he insisted. "I had experience of managing the U18s and I gave a certain Ryan Giggs his international debut!

"I also managed the U21s for two years, so I know the ropes pretty well."

Flynn has now been installed as the firm favourite to become Wales' fifth manager since Terry Yorath left the post a decade ago.

And Yorath himself expects to see Flynn installed as the new national team chief in the near future.

Yorath, who has expressed a preference for John Toshack to take charge, said: "John would be my choice because he's got the experience of being a manager in Europe, but he had his chance once and walked away from it.

"If you said to me, 'what would your choice be?', I'd say 'John Toshack', but I think it'll be Brian Flynn with Gary Speed as his likely assistant."

The FAW have ample time in which to decide on his successor, with Wales' next match after Poland coming against Austria on March 26 next year.