The former Liverpool and Manchester City forward earned 78 caps for Wales and scored 19 goals but never represented his country at a major tournament.
That is a major factor in his desire to take Wales to the 2026 World Cup, and he has said that managing the national team at Euro 2028 on home soil is a “massive” incentive.
Wales will co-host Euro 2028 alongside England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium staging the opening fixture.
“I was with him at the rugby when Wales played the All Blacks [in November] and we’re just looking around the stadium together, thinking when we kick off Euro 2028 in this stadium as a full house, that’ll be another chapter for Welsh football,” said Mooney.
“So as part of the legacy that he wants to leave for Welsh football, we would love him to stay to Euro 2028 and to lead the team.
“He’s really enthusiastic about that. We live in the real world as well. If someone offers him, I don’t know, the Real Madrid job or Barcelona job or the Liverpool job, whatever it is, then naturally that’s interesting for anybody.
“I mean he’s competitive, he’s got to the very top of the game on the pitch, naturally off the pitch, he’s going to want to get to the very top.
“If he plays football like we did against North Macedonia [who Wales beat 7-1 in November] then any club out there that wants to play good football and wants a brilliant young coach, I’d be surprised if he’s not on their radar.
“I’ve said many times before I think Craig is a genius at what he does.”
