WOOSIE PROFILE Age: 46 Ryder Cup caps: 8 (1983-1997) Match wins: 4 (1985, 1987, 1995, 1997) Record: Played 31, won 14, lost 12, halved 5

Wales' former Masters champion hopes victorious skipper Bernhard Langer will step aside to allow him to move up from vice-captain to Sam Torrance in 2002.

"Hopefully, I'll get the job in Ireland," Woosnam told The Mail on Sunday newspaper.

"One of the strengths of the Europeans is the team spirit. That's one of my strengths too."

The 46-year-old added: "I've helped to build up the team spirit in the past and I believe we can pull it all together."

The times of doing it twice are gone Ian Woosnam

Woosnam, who Torrance believes is the best man for the job, insisted that the Ryder Cup committee should resist the temptation to offer Langer a second crack at the job when they meet in December.

"There's nobody cooler than Bernhard," said Woosnam, who played the last of his eight Ryder Cups at Valderrama in 1997.

"As far as I could see, he did everything right during the week at Oakland Hills.

"But times have changed since the days of Tony Jacklin and Bernard Gallacher. So many players have put so much into the Ryder Cup - myself, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Olazabal and Monty - that the times of doing it twice are gone.

"It's only fair that one of us gets a go."

Woosnam was widely tipped to lead Europe in Wales in 2010 but he is adamant that he would be too old then and not mixing regularly with players on the Tour.

It's not crucial that everyone gets a go at being captain Thomas Bjorn

Montgomerie seems set to be talked into playing in the team in Ireland, while one of Woosnam's other rivals for the post, Nick Faldo, is likely to be lined up for the job in Kentucky in 2008, owing to his wider US experience.

However, Langer, who oversaw Europe's 18�-9� victory earlier this month, would be a popular choice to continue in the role.

The German told The Observer: "I still have a tendency to let some else do it but I am not sure.

"If there wasn't a waiting list then I wouldn't hesitate. I'd love to do it in Ireland because the public is better there than anywhere else."

But one of Langer's assistants at Oakland Hills, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, told The Mail on Sunday: "Winning the Ryder Cup is crucial to the future of the European Tour.

"It's not crucial that everyone gets a go at being captain."