Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Jose Mourinho has hinted his next job will be as a national team manager rather than with another club.

The Portuguese boss has not been in work since he left Manchester United in December 2018 after overseeing the club's worst-ever Premier League start:

His remarkable record as a league champion in four different countries and a two-time UEFA Champions League winner means he remains sought-after.

And Mourinho has said he is eager to compete for trophies he has not won before, potentially in the international arena, per Eleven Sports (h/t Sky Sports): "I want to compete in new competitions. I think about the World Cup and the European Championships. For a long time I have had the desire to try out such an adventure. Right now, I see myself more at a national team than with a new club."

The obvious international job for Mourinho would be with his native Portugal.

He has been linked with the role before, but he told GQ magazine's Paul Henderson a year ago he was "not close" to being tired of club management.

1. Europe vs. South America—Who Would Win? We Simmed on FIFA17

   

2. Inside Transfer Deadline Day: Access All Areas at Sheffield United

   

3. FIFA Sim: Bundesliga All-Stars vs. Serie a All-Stars

   

4. Meet 'Billy the Wonder Kid': the 7-Year-Old Football Phenomenon

   

5. Juventus vs. Real Madrid: Champions League Final Goes Space Invaders

   

6. Gianluigi Buffon Is an All-Time Great: Will He Finally Win the Champions League?

   

7. Duong Ly Picks Football's Biggest Results: Who Wins the Champions League Final?

   

8. Can Real Madrid Unlock Juventus' Defense in UEFA Champions League Final?

   

9. FC Copenhagen Fans Throw Beach Toys on Pitch During Final Match of Season

   

10. Goodbye to Tottenham Hotspur's Famous Old Stadium—White Hart Lane

    

11. Blue Is the Colour—B/R Animation Celebrates Chelsea's Title

    

12. 270417_SS_RONALDORECORD_PLUS_1.mov

    

13. Lyngby Goalkeeper Makes Incredible Goalkeeping Blunder

    

14. We Asked Fans in Egypt: Who Is Your Champions League Legend?

    

15. Here Is What Happened When the Champions League Trophy Visited Egypt

    

16. 6-Year-Old Prodigy Ariana Dos Santos Has Has Met Her Barcelona Heroes

    

17. Jamaican Fans Tell B/R Their UEFA Champions League Memories

    

18. Arsene Wenger Carries on Regardless as Arsenal Stars Cause Chaos in Background

    

19. N'golo Kante Will Win the PFA Players' Player of the Year Award

    

20. Dmytro Hrechyshkin Scores Fine Free-Kick for Vorskla—but Did He Mean It?

    

That may well have changed now, but when asked about the Portugal job, he said it is "not necessarily" the right one for him, per Eleven Sports. 

There are likely a number of national federations whose interest will have been piqued by Mourinho's latest comments.

His reputation suffered a blow during his time at United as he failed to challenge for the Premier League title with the Old Trafford giants:

But he is still regarded among the world's best, and managers of his calibre rarely work in international football any more.

It would be no surprise if some high-profile South American jobs become available after the 2019 Copa America.

Mourinho could still return to club management. Before Zinedine Zidane was reappointed as Real Madrid manager back in March, Mourinho was touted as a possible candidate to return to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Per Eleven Sports, he has not closed the door on returning to club management, outlining he still has ambitions on that level: "Winning a fifth championship in a different country or the Champions League with a third club are things I'd like to do. I wouldn't do it just for that. I only go where a project convinces me."