Joe Schmidt would be welcomed back to a job with Ireland or one of the Irish provinces in future, according to Alan Quinlan.
Newspapers in the UK this morning are linking the New Zealander with the vacancy at Gloucester Rugby. David Humphreys quit his Director of Rugby role at Kingsholm this week, following the resignation of head coach Johann Ackermann last month.
And former Munster and Ireland star Quinlan told Eoin and Adrian on OTB AM that someone of Schmidt's calibre will always be linked with big jobs.
"It's no surprise really, I think Joe Schmidt will be linked with any job in world rugby at the moment.
"All is not well in Gloucester I don't think, it seems like it was a nice parting of ways with David Humphreys, but it hasn't ended well there. We always hear about these departures - everyone shook hands and everyone is happy to move on... it just doesn't seem right for me.
"Stuart Lancaster, like Joe Schmidt, these guys are highly-sought rugby coaches. They have international experience as well, when you go to a club game and see the impact Stuart Lancaster has made in Leinster.
"Joe [Schmidt] excelled with Clermont, excelled with Leinster, that's why he would be of interest to any club - that's not a surprise really. It's really down to whether he throws his hat in the ring and takes a job in the club game.
"He has said that he does want to get back into the game and coaching, whether that's at international or club level, who knows? Would he still base himself in Ireland and commute over and back and do what Stuart Lancaster is doing here? That's a possibility as well."
Quinlan added that a role for Schmidt at an Irish province in future should not be ruled out.
"I think if he takes another job somewhere in France or the UK or in the northern hemisphere, there's no reason why he may not come back and coach Ireland again or coach one of the provinces again.
22 October 2019; Head coach Joe Schmidt is greeted by supporters on the Ireland Rugby Team's return at Dublin Airport from the Rugby World Cup. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile"I'm sure if there was an opening or an opportunity in one of the provinces they would be very keen to have him. His relationship with the IRFU has been very good and he's proven quality.
"He's someone that brings trophies to whatever team he goes to, there's absolutely no doubt he could be back coaching one of the provinces or Ireland again in the future, for sure.
"With his experience any club would be delighted to have him, this is going to be down to Joe. He has the luxury of being able to pick and choose, [there are] some rugby coaches who are desperate to get back into work, and it's a tough market."
Schmidt joined OTB Sports for an exclusive interview last week, where he seemed ready to take on a new challenge.
"I feel massively refreshed. I had been going 17 years in a row where I'd always dovetailed one job into the next, or overlapped them even.
"It has been great to step away and take a nice deep breath and feel a little bit more re-energized. I felt by the time I'd got to the World Cup I'd been back and forth to New Zealand three times in a short space of time.
"I really did feel like my energy levels weren't where they'd been. I feel they're certainly back now, after being locked up for three weeks!"
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