'I played with Zinedine Zidane and for Man Utd - two things are stopping him taking charge'

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Michael Owen believes there are two glaring reasons why Zinedine Zidane won't ever manage Manchester United . The Frenchman has been linked with the job after Ruben Amorim's dismissal.

After just 14 months in charge, Portuguese head coach Amorim was shown the exit this week on the back of an explosive press conference . Darren Fletcher has taken up the reins in the interim and his team drew 2-2 with Burnley on Wednesday night.

The reported plan is to bring in a caretaker manager until the end of this current season before finding a long-term replacement in the summer. Former Real Madrid boss Zidane's name was mentioned before when United needed a new head coach and he has now been linked with the position again .

But Owen, who was Zidane's team-mate at the Bernabeu, feels that the lifestyle he would be offered in Manchester, accompanied by a language barrier, means that the Frenchman is unlikely to ever sit in the Old Trafford hot seat.

"He's been mentioned lots and lots of times for the Manchester United job but he doesn't speak good English," Owen exclusively told Mirror Football via Casino.org where he is a UK ambassador, which helps players find the best casino online options in Britain .

"His English is probably about as good as my Spanish! So I just don't see it. He's obviously done the Real Madrid thing. He's been exceptionally successful. I see the French national job as something that he might turn to. I just don't see it with United.

"I don't think you can be Manchester United manager and hardly speak a word of English. As a player, wonderful. As a manager, obviously he's won the biggest prizes. There's nothing to answer in terms of his CV. One of the great players, one of the great managers. I just think with the language barrier and the lifestyle, I don't see it."

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Zidane became an icon on the pitch for Los Blancos before he guided them to three Champions League titles as head coach. But Owen says he was quite a reserved figure in the Real Madrid dressing room and he never foresaw him as a manager.

"He was quite quiet I would say," Owen added. "I didn't necessarily think that he would go into management. In many ways, obviously management is for him, but I don't think he's hung up on management.

"I think it's a give or take type of thing. If he's not managing a great team with great players and has a chance of winning something big, can he be a***d?

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"But he was quite quiet, quite studious. When he spoke, you listened, but he wouldn't shout or anything like that in the dressing room. He would take things in and he would sit in the corner and look at everyone.

"He wasn't Ronaldo or Roberto Carlos who were the laughers and the jokers and the loud ones. He would sit there and take a lot in. He was a nice guy and very respectful and kind.