FORMER Swindon Town star Paul Bodin has admitted he is more interested in the vacant position at Chippenham Town than he is in becoming manager of local rivals Bath City.

Bodin has already expressed a keen interest in succeeding Tommy Saunders as manager of the Bluebirds and this has not changed despite the sacking of Alan Pridham, Bath City's manager, on Wednesday morning.

Bodin said: "I am not surprised by the decision to part company with Pridham because results have not got any better over the last few months.

"I have worked at Bath before as manager and they even tried to entice me back last season to work alongside Pridham, but that didn't interest me.

"At the moment there is no doubt the managerial position at Chippenham Town interests me a lot more than the vacancy at Bath."

The 39-year-old guided Bath to back-to-back fourth placed finishes in the Dr Martens League Premier Division in 1998/99 and 1999/2000 but left Twerton Park in 2001 following the board's decision to cut his budget in half.

He currently works as a football coach with Swindon Town's School of Excellence but admitted that he feels it is time to end his two and a half year exile from club management.

He said: "I have been getting itchy feet recently about management and these two jobs have given me food for thought."

Bodin revealed he has not yet applied for the job at Chippenham as he is not prepared to rush his decision.

He said: "I have spoken to a few people but at the moment I haven't really committed myself either way.

"I am continually speaking to people who know the club and one or two of the players that I used to have at Bath to find out what the club is about.

"I haven't spoken to Malcolm Lyus yet and that is what I need to do next before making my mind up."

There has been a lot said about Chippenham's limited budget this season but Bodin said as far as he knows that is not a problem.

"Apparently the budget is not as bad as Tommy Saunders made out," he said.

"But that is only from what I have heard.

"I worked on a budget of £3,500 at Bath and that included everybody and from what I have heard that is roughly the same as it will be at Chippenham.

"When I read that they were going to give Adie Mings four games I thought that was fair enough and if he does a good job they won't need a manager.

"The ball is in his court."