Andriy Shevchenko has declined an offer to coach Ukraine's national football team.

Shevchenko says he appreciates the offer and the trust placed in him, but feels that "choosing to head the national team would be a hasty step."

Shevchenko was offered the coaching post on Nov. 12 following Oleh Blokhin's decision in September to quit and focus on revitalizing a struggling Dynamo Kiev team in the domestic league.

Shevchenko ended a goal-studded, 18-year career after this year's European Championship in Ukraine and Poland. He subsequently announced he was entering politics, but failed to win a seat in national parliamentary elections last month.