JAMES Beattie is itching to get stuck into a new challenge in football management – and has been getting tips off Saints' legendary FA Cup winning boss Lawrie McMenemy.

The ex-Saints man has been spending time with his family after leaving his role as Swansea’s assistant coach in December, following fellow Saints old boy Garry Monk’s departure as boss.

But Beattie, who is enthusiastic about forging a career in management, is now lining up his next job, with the newly vacated Peterborough United job interesting him, among others.

He has previous experience from his time in charge of Accrington Stanley.

“There’s been three managers sacked in the last three days,” Beattie said. “Maybe [I’d be interested in] one or two of them, but I think the next one for me is very important.

“I obviously speak to a lot of people. I've spoken to Lawrie (former Saints boss McMenemy).

“The next opportunity for me has got to be right, so I do a lot of due diligence and a lot of work on the clubs I think that a position could potentially come available at.

“I’m always active, I’m always looking, I want to get back in and I believe that I can have a good career.

“I suppose I’m starting out on a new career having finished playing and I don’t mind that and I want to develop as quickly as possible and get the opportunities.”

He added that the Posh job is one he is looking at after the League One club sacked Graham Westley recently.

Beattie said: “That’s in there... that’s one that is of interest to me, so we’ll see where it goes.”