|
Sam Allardyce deserves to be considered as a potential successor to Roy Hodgson as England manager and could even combine the job with his current role at Sunderland, according to Jermain Defoe. England have begun the search for a new manager after Hodgson resigned within minutes of Monday's humiliating Euro 2016 exit at the hands of Iceland, and under-21 boss Gareth Southgate is widely considered the favourite to assume control, potentially on an interim basis until a permanent successor is found. There is a long list of potential options for a long-term appointment, and Allardyce further bolstered his reputation as one of the Premier League's most accomplished English managers by helping Sunderland secure their top-flight survival from a precarious position last season. Defoe is full of praise for the man who has helped him revive his career at the Stadium of Light and suggests that Allardyce could be capable of combining his Sunderland duties with the task of reviving England. Informed that Allardyce was in contention for the England job, Defoe told BBC Radio 5 live: "And so he should be. Obviously I hope he stays at Sunderland. "I've always known about Sam, but it's not until you play for a manager that you actually realise what they bring to a team and what they bring to a dressing room. "I remember when I was really young at West Ham, playing against his Bolton team, pulling up to the stadium and thinking, 'It's going to be a tough one.' "It was always difficult against Sam's teams because they're so direct. We used to say it was a horrible way of playing, but it's so effective. "It's no different to what he's done at Sunderland. He's come in and given us the basis to win games. He didn't really complicate anything. "On the Thursday he'd do the team shape. 'This is what I want, this is how we're going to win,' depending on who we were playing against, and he just wants you to go out and do it." Asked if Allardyce could replicate the methods that have worked at Sunderland for England, Defoe added: "If you look at the players we've got -- especially the young players and their legs and their energy -- 100 percent. "Obviously I want him to stay at Sunderland, but maybe he could do both [jobs]."
|
