The England soccer manager Kevin Keegan is safe in his job for the 2002 World Cup no matter how his side performs in next summer's European Championship.

The England soccer manager Kevin Keegan is safe in his job for the 2002 World Cup no matter how his side performs in next summer's European Championship.

The endorsement came today from the England Football Association chairman Geoff Thompson amid reports Keegan felt under pressure entering the tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Keegan was reportedly on the verge of quitting if England failed to win its playoff last month against Scotland to reach this summer's championship. Even after surviving Scotland, Keegan said his job was probably on the line unless England did "fantastically well" in the summer tournament.

"If we hadn't qualified, there would have been no pressure on Kevin Keegan," Thompson said. "The main aim has always been the 2002 World Cup.

"There's no pressure on him, none at all. There's no point giving somebody the job if you give him a gun with a bullet in it. I have the utmost confidence in him. He's got a contract until the 2002 World Cup, I'm sure that he will see that out and that is the end of the issue as far as I'm concerned."

Keegan has been criticized for his "tactical ability," which Thompson admitted he was not qualified to judge.

"Kevin is a bubbly personality, very positive in his thinking and he wants the job. From an inspirational point of view and as a leader, I think he's absolutely first-class.

"I'm not qualified to comment on his coaching ability and I shouldn't think he would want anybody who couldn't do the job to comment on it.

"None of us need telling where our weaknesses are if we've got any and we've all got some. I'm sure he seeks the appropriate advice when he feels he needs it."