Gary Speed has been advised by Bolton to carry on playing and forget any notions of managing Wales. The veteran midfielder has been mooted as either a direct successor to Wales boss Mark Hughes, or as an assistant.
"Gary is a student of the game. But to take what he has learned into management straight away is difficult," Bolton assistant boss Phil Brown said.
"My advice to him would be to cut his teeth at a club first. If we can help him in terms of coaching we will."
Speed, who made his 500th top-flight appearance at the weekend, signed a two-year deal with Bolton when he arrived in the summer from Newcastle.
However, the club expect Speed to see that contract through.
"The manager, Sam Allardyce, has already had a conversation with Gary," Brown added.
"I think that he wants to play as long as he possibly can and that is music to our ears.
"It is difficult, though, because it is the national team. If someone threw the national manager's job at you at 34 or 35, would you be foolish to turn it down?
"But I do not think the time is right for him to go into management yet, certainly not at international level."
Hughes, the new Blackburn manager, will step down in a fortnight after the World Cup qualifiers against England and Azerbaijan.
MMIX
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Sparky's successor
