Ex-Portsmouth, Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday owner Milan Mandaric: Retire? I'm 86 and I want to buy another football club

The charismatic Serbian-American businessman has spent more than 50 years in the game, owning clubs in the USA, Belgium, France, Slovenia, Serbia and, of course, England.

Yet Mandaric remains besotted with football and still driven by ambition, while possessing a remarkable spirit of adventure and infectious enthusiasm belying his advancing years.

Now the former Pompey, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday owner is readying for his departure as vice-president of Serbian SuperLiga side FK Vojvodina, who operate in his home city of Novi Sad.

And he’s already focused on his next challenge - one final shot at football club ownership.

Mandaric told The News: ‘My problem is I always like a club where there is room for improvement and I can make a difference.

‘Leicester was down in League One when I took it - and that’s how I build a company in Silicon Valley. I was buying companies similar to mine, but not in good shape, almost in bankruptcy. That’s how I grew my company into one of the largest in that business.

‘I have no interest just to be there, not making any difference, I have no interest for that. I want to see improvement all the time - and I’ll eventually get back into owning another football club.

‘I cannot resist it because I still have energy. Enthusiasm is the key thing, enthusiasm feeds the energy - and I am enthusiastic about football. So I’ll probably have one more time.

‘I don’t want to retire, I will retire one day when I’m gone. I still have the passion to help - and have a headache and stress! I do enjoy that sometimes to a point. Sometimes it gets hard and I say “What the hell am I doing?”. I still take projects without thinking how many I already have to finish.

‘I am now 45. I see your face - no I’m 86! But why not get back? It’s not about the age, it’s the energy and desire. I have seen 66-year-olds, younger people than me, and I have their energy and enthusiasm. I’m going to do it one more time.

‘I’m healthy, I have no problems at all. Maybe I get it from my parents, it's in the genes. You never know, one day something can happen suddenly, but right now I am okay.

‘We will see where, people have called me from Switzerland, France, Serbia, Croatia, everywhere. I am just looking.’

Mandaric was back in England last month to watch his beloved Pompey in action against Sheffield United.

His seven years on the south coast ended in September 2006, yet remains his favourite time in football, having overseen promotion to the Premier League and formed a memorable double act with Harry Redknapp.

The former Nice and Standard Liege owner also enjoyed a special relationship with the Fratton faithful, guaranteeing a warm reception upon increasingly rare journeys home.

But he’s looking forward to returning to football - wherever that may be.

He added: ‘There’s a club in Switzerland I am looking at very seriously. I almost bought one in the lake down there close to Italy and, at the last moment, something happened and the ownership tried to change the deal. So I said “Okay forget it” - and I didn’t do it.

‘I’ve looked at Spain as well, there are a lot of clubs in Croatia and of course in Serbia. Red Star (Belgrade) have been after me and Partizan (Belgrade) for many years, but politics are involved too much in that.

‘When politics is involved in football, I am staying away from that. They get involved and put some money in and dictate.

‘But not England, not any more. I have loved it, but I’m looking elsewhere.’