Warren Gatland has confirmed that England have previously shown an interest in appointing him as head coach.
The former Wales boss enjoyed a hugely successful coaching career, working with Wales, Ireland, the British and Irish Lions and London Wasps.
Gatland, a former hooker who made 140 appearances for Waikato, began his coaching career in 1989.
He took charge of Ireland between 1998 and 2001 before moving to London Wasps, where he won three Premiership titles and the 2004 Heineken Cup.
He was appointed Wales head coach in 2007 and went on to lead the nation to three Six Nations Grand Slams in 2008, 2012 and 2019. He also guided Wales to two Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
His success earned him three appointments as British and Irish Lions head coach. He won the 2013 series against Australia before drawing the 2017 series with New Zealand.
Following a spell with the Chiefs, Gatland returned for a second stint with Wales in December 2022. However, he left the role in February 2025 after overseeing a 14-match losing streak.
Now, speaking on the For the Love of Rugby podcast with Dan Cole and Ben Youngs, Gatland was asked whether he had ever been approached about taking charge of England.
The 63-year-old gave a brief but revealing response, admitting: "Yeah, there has. It was in the past."
He stopped short of revealing exactly when the interest came, with Youngs appearing particularly amused by the admission.
There have been several reports over the years linking Gatland with the England job.
He was reportedly considered as a potential replacement for Stuart Lancaster in 2015 before being linked with the role again in 2019, when Eddie Jones was under pressure.
Further speculation emerged in 2022, when Gatland was linked with a potential short-term caretaker appointment following Jones' departure.
Given his long association with Wales and the fierce rivalry between the two nations, Gatland was also asked whether emotions would have played a part in any potential move to England.
He admitted that the decision would not necessarily have been straightforward, adding: "Yeah it does. Your head says one thing, but your heart says another thing sometimes."
